◊ The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you'll need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.
◊ Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay. It is administered seven times a year in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories, and six times a year overseas.
SAT Question Types
◊ The SAT includes a Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing section, with a specific number of questions related to content.
The Unscored Section
◊ In addition, there is one 25-minute unscored section, known as the variable or equating section. This unscored section may be either a critical reading, mathematics, or writing multiple-choice section. This unscored section does not count toward the final score, but is used to try out new questions for future editions of the SAT and to ensure that scores on new editions of the SAT are comparable to scores on earlier editions of the test.
Test Order
◊ The 25-minute essay will always be the first section of the SAT, and the 10-minute multiple-choice writing section will always be the final section. The remaining six 25-minute sections can appear in any order, as can the two 20-minute sections.
◊ Test takers sitting next to each other in the same testing session may have test books with entirely different sections.
