Chapter 1

Introduction
Welcome to the Official SAT Study Guide! Browse through the guide to gain
a sense of the information in it, and begin marking sections that get your
attention. This guide is designed for you. Return to it again and again in the
coming weeks and months. Reading it is an excellent way to become familiar
with the SAT its content, structure, timing, question types, and more. The
information, advice, and sample questions will help you prepare to take the
test with confidence.
New and important undertakings put most of us on edge at least a little
and raise our adrenaline. This happens whether its an audition or the first
day in a new school. But if we feel prepared for the adventure, we can use
that adrenaline rush for a focused energy boost.
Tackling new things makes most of us nervous, but when we can learn a
great deal about a new situation in advance, we feel much more able to take
a deep breath and meet the challenge. Learning about the SAT through this
guide and trying out some timed sample tests will contribute to being well
prepared when your test date arrives.

How Does the SAT Measure Academic

Achievement?
Questions on the SAT will not ask you to recall details of Hamlet or to sim
ply find the answer to 11 11 or to name the capital of Nevada or the loca
tion of the Platte River. If you recall those facts, good for you, but the SAT
will ask for something different. Instead of asking you to show what youve
memorized, the questions invite you to exercise your thinking skills.
All of the learning youve done from childhood to now contributes
to how you think, how your mind manages information. Even if you
dont recall the details of a history or science lesson, the process of learn
ing information and blending it with previously learned information is
key to becoming a skilled thinker. A chef knows a half-teaspoon of salt
just by looking. Youre reading this page easily because youve had a lot of
practice reading.

REMEMBER
The SAT isnt designed to assess
how well youve memorized a
large set of facts. Rather, the SAT
assesses your ability to apply the
knowledge and skills youll need
in college and career.

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REMEMBER
Working hard in school,
challenging yourself, and being
an active class participant are
all great ways to prepare for the
SAT.

You also evaluate, analyze, and make assumptions all the time. We humans
love to figure out puzzles, and finding our way through unfamiliar places
or comprehending a text requires discovering a solution, just as playing
Candy Crush or Sudoku does. It should be no surprise to discover that the
best preparation for success on the SAT aligns with the learning youve
done in your classes and perhaps in your extracurricular interests, too.
If youve challenged yourself again and again with complex problems
whether in literature, programming, physics, or other domains youve
exercised your thinking skills, just as athletes exercise their muscles by
running.

Whos Responsible for the SAT?

The SAT is developed by the College Board, a not-for-profit organization that
was founded more than a century ago to expand access to higher education.
Membership: Over 6,000 schools, colleges, and universities
SAT: Administered 3.3 million times annually

The mission of the College Board is to connect students with the oppor
tunities in higher education that theyve earned through their own hard
work. Each year, College Board programs and initiatives serve more than
7 million students and their parents, 24,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges
by assisting with:
College and career readiness
College admission and placement
College recruitment
Financial aid
Scholarship and recognition programs

The best-known programs offered or delivered by the College Board are the
SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP).

How Is the SAT Developed?

The process of developing a test given to students around the world is com
plex and involves many people. Test developers are content experts who
majored in physics, biology, statistics, math, English, history, computer sci
ence, sociology, education, psychology, and other disciplines. Their goals are
to craft questions and answer choices that allow students to demon
strate their best thinking. The people who work on the SAT are not only con
tent experts, but most have also been classroom teachers. A majority of the
test developers took the SAT themselves when they were in high school. So
in addition to all of the knowledge theyve gained since taking the test, they
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share the experience of preparing for, being anxious about, and then taking
the SAT. Its part of the knowledge they bring to test development now.
Many other experts are involved in the development of SAT test questions.
Committees of high school and college instructors review every question to ensure
that each one measures important knowledge, skills, and understandings; that the
questions are fair to all students; and that theyre written in a way that models
what students are learning in the best high school classrooms.
Good standardized test development links scores and test questions to actual
outcomes. In other words, because the SAT is developed according to rigorous
specifications and assesses the content that matters most for college and career
readiness and success, test results provide meaningful information about a stu
dents readiness for and likelihood of succeeding in college. And, of course, that
is the information that colleges seek. After all, they want to admit students who
will have successful college experiences and successful careers. Everyone knows
that the SAT gives colleges one indicator of college readiness and success; other
factors that colleges typically consider include grade point average (GPA), class
standing, extracurricular activities, and traits that are hard to measure, such as
grit and perseverance. Independent research demonstrates that the single most
important factor for demonstrating college readiness is high school GPA. Even
more predictive than GPA, though, is GPA combined with an SAT score. Thats
why colleges often require SAT (or ACT) scores, since the scores help them
gauge your readiness for and likelihood of succeeding at their school.

REMEMBER
The SAT has been carefully
crafted by many people, experts
in their fields, to ensure that
its a fair test that assesses the
knowledge and skills youll need
to succeed in college and career.

REMEMBER
Colleges care about your SAT
score because its a strong
predictor of how youll perform
in college. By doing well on the
SAT, you can show colleges that
youre ready to succeed.

Why Has the SAT Changed?

The world needs more people who can solve problems, communicate
clearly, and understand complex relationships whether those relation
ships involve nations, cells, futures markets, or novels. Recent research has
revealed that far too few students are fully prepared to participate in careers
that require such skills.
The goal of strengthening education in the United States and around the
world inspired the College Board to align the SAT with the latest research
about what students need in order to succeed after high school. The changes
in the SAT are intended to provide a better, more complete picture of student
readiness for college-level work while focusing the test more clearly on the
knowledge, skills, and understandings that research shows are essential for
college and career readiness and success. In addition, by reflecting the rele
vant, focused, engaging, and rigorous work offered in the best high school
courses taught today, the redesigned SAT creates a stronger bond between
the assessment and what students are learning in their classrooms.

REMEMBER
The redesigned SAT is more
closely aligned with the
knowledge and skills that are
taught in high school classes
around the country.

While research is ongoing, we believe that the redesign of the SAT meets
these goals while maintaining the tests traditional value as a predictor of
readiness for success in college and career.
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How Is the Test Organized?

The redesigned SAT has four tests, with the Essay being optional. The three
tests that everyone will take are (1) the Reading Test, (2) the Writing and
Language Test, and (3) the Math Test. The breakdown is structured as
follows:

Component

REMEMBER
Thoroughly research schools
youre interested in before
deciding whether to sign up for
the Essay.

Time Allotted
(min.)

Number of Questions/
Tasks

Reading

65

52

Writing and Language

35

44

Essay (optional)

50

Math

80

58

Total

180 (230 with Essay)

154 (155 with Essay)

The Essay, which formerly lasted 25 minutes, will now last 50 minutes; the
longer period reflects the fact that the task is different from what it used to
be. Youll be asked to read a passage and to write an analysis of what youve
read, which will require more time. Some high schools and colleges require
the Essay, and some dont. Depending on your high school and your college
choice, you may already know whether or not you will take the Essay. If
you have any uncertainty for instance, if you can imagine that you might
transfer from a school that doesnt require it to one that does consider
taking the SAT with Essay. Then you wont have to make arrangements to
take it later.

How Is the Test Scored?

As you know, numbers often represent information in a straightforward
manner, but we need context to give meaning to those numbers. When we
see 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we may think water freezes, but if the topic is
seawater, we need a different number. Similarly, SAT test results show scores
(numbers) in different contexts; several of the scores describe the same parts
of the test in different ways or combinations, as explained below.

Section ScoreS and total Score

REMEMBER
Youll receive two section scores
Evidence-Based Reading and
Writing and Math which are
each reported on a scale ranging
from 200 to 800. Together, these
two scores make up your total
score. Your scores on the optional
Essay are reported separately.

The redesigned SAT includes two section scores: (1) Evidence-Based Reading
and Writing, which combines the results on the Reading Test and the Writing
and Language Test, and (2) Math, which is derived from the results on the Math
Tests calculator and no-calculator portions. Each of the two section scores will
be reported on a scale ranging from 200 to 800. The scores for the Essay will be
reported separately and will not be factored into the section scores.
The total score is the best-known number attached to the SAT. Your total
score will range from 400 to 1600 and will be the sum of your scores on the

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two sections of the SAT: the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section
and the Math section (discussed above).

teSt ScoreS
In addition to the total score and section scores, the redesigned SAT will
report three test scores that will range from 10 to 40. Those scores will reflect
your achievement in the following:
1. Reading Test
2. Writing and Language Test

REMEMBER
Test scores will reflect your
performance on each of the three
required tests on the SAT. The
three different Essay scores serve
a similar role.

3. Math Test
Each test score is determined by adding up the number of questions you
answered correctly on that test and then converting that to a scaled score
of 10 to 40. Because different questions are asked every time the SAT is
administered, a scaled score is determined so that student performance can
be compared across test dates. If you take the optional Essay, youll receive
three separate Essay scores: Reading, Analysis, and Writing.

croSS-teSt ScoreS
Within each of the tests that make up the SAT, some questions will require
analysis grounded in history/social studies and science contexts. Your
responses illustrate your ability to apply analytical thinking by using read
ing, writing, language, and math skills to texts and problems in these sub
ject areas. Results on these questions will contribute to two cross-test scores:
1. Analysis in History/Social Studies
2. Analysis in Science
Each cross-test score will be reported on a 10 to 40 scale.

SubScoreS
Just as your responses to certain questions contribute to the cross-test scores
described above, your responses to various questions also contribute to
seven subscores, which provide even more detail about your achievement.
Responses to select questions on the Reading and the Writing and Language
Tests will contribute to scores in the following:

REMEMBER
Subscores provide additional
insights into your performance
on specific topics and skills.

1. Command of Evidence
2. Words in Context
Responses to questions on the Writing and Language Test will also
contribute to scores in the following:
1. Expression of Ideas
2. Standard English Conventions
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Responses to select questions on the Math Test will contribute to three

subscores:
1. Heart of Algebra
2. Problem Solving and Data Analysis
3. Passport to Advanced Math
Each subscore will be reported on a 1 to 15 scale.

The SAT Score Report

Youll be able to access all of your scores online through your free College
Board account. This account will be the same one you use to register for the
SAT. Learn more at sat.org.

Score range
In addition to the scores described above, the SAT Score Report will include
a score range for each score. This range indicates where your scores would
likely fall if you took the test several times within a short period of time (for
instance, on three consecutive days). If you were to do that, you would see
numbers that differ, but not by much.

PercentileS
REMEMBER
Your percentile rank indicates the
percentage of test-takers who
scored at or below your score.

Your SAT Score Report will include the percentile rank for each score and
subscore. As you may know, percentile ranks are a way of comparing scores
in a particular group. For the SAT, separate percentile ranks will be reported
based on your state and on the total group of test-takers. Each percentile
rank can range from 1 to 99 and indicates the percentage of test-takers who
attained a score equal to or lower than yours. For instance, a perfect total
score of 1600 would have a percentile rank of 99, meaning that 99 percent of
people taking the test achieved a 1600 or lower score. A percentile rank of
50 means that half of students taking the test scored at or below your score.

online Score rePort

REMEMBER
Youll be able to access your
online score report through your
free College Board account. This
report will give you a detailed
breakdown of your performance.

This Web-based report gives you the meaning behind your numbers by
providing a summary of how you did on each section with how many answers
you got right, got wrong, or omitted. The tool offers insight into your strengths
and weaknesses by showing your results grouped by content area and level of
difficulty. The SAT Online Score Report provides other information as well:
Percentiles to help you see how your results compare with those of other

students like you

A search tool for career and college majors, with suggestions based on

information you provide in your profile

If you completed the Essay, a scanned copy of your response and the question
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Being able to review your response to the Essay gives you an opportunity to recon
sider how well you understood the passage, the effectiveness of your analysis, and
the quality of your writing. You can reflect on whether your points were clear, how
well you provided support for your points, and how effectively you structured
your essay. Reading a passage and writing an essay under time pressure are not
easy tasks. Reviewing your essay to assess what was effective and what couldve
been more effective will serve you well. Each essay written under pressure provides
good practice in composing your thoughts and writing under time constraints.

Additional Services
When you register for the SAT, youll be able to choose reports and services
that will be helpful in a number of ways. Review the types and availability so
that you can decide which ones you want. Depending on which date you test
on, there are different options for receiving detailed feedback on the ques
tions from your exam. Browse through the types of information that each of
the following reports and services offers you.

REMEMBER
Within nine days of taking the
test, you can decide to have your
SAT results sent, free of charge,
to four institutions.

additional Score rePortS

Registering for the SAT allows you to send your results to up to four institu
tions; you can identify these institutions within nine days of taking the test.
Take advantage of all four score reports, whether you send them to colleges
or to scholarship sites. Sending your scores to colleges and universities early
in the college application process is a great way to show your interest. Use
your online account to order additional score reports.

Score choice
If you take the SAT more than once, you can utilize the Score Choice service.
Score Choice allows you to select which score, by test date (or by test for SAT
Subject Tests), to send to your chosen colleges, in accordance with each institu
tions individual score use practices. Note that this service is optional. If you do not
select Score Choice when registering, all of your scores will be sent to institutions
receiving your results. Colleges consider your best scores when they review your
application, so having them all sent will not have a negative impact. However, if
you want only the top numbers to be seen, you should elect Score Choice.
Each school or program has its own deadlines and policies for how scores
are used. Information is listed on the Score Choice site for each participating
institution, but check with the individual school or scholarship program to
make sure youre following its guidelines.
Note that you cannot select one section score from one test date and another
section score from another date. (For example, you wont be able to send
your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score from one date and your
Math score from a different date.) Also, if you took the SAT with Essay, you
wont be able to send a score without the Essay scores as well.

REMEMBER
The Score Choice service allows
you to select which score
(by test date) to send to your
chosen colleges. Keep in mind,
however, that you cant choose
to submit specific section scores
or subscores from different test
dates.

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If you havent selected to have any scores mailed by the customary college
application deadlines, the SAT site will send you an email reminder.

Student anSwer Verification SerViceS

The SAT Program offers two answer verification services for the SAT. (These
services arent available for SAT Subject Tests.) These services are intended
to help you feel comfortable that your test was scored accurately by provid
ing information about the types of questions and their content as well as
how you answered them. Depending on when and where you take the SAT,
you can either order the Student Answer Service (SAS) or the Question
and-Answer Service (QAS). You can order the services when you register for
the SAT or up to five months after your test date.
Both SAS and QAS tell you which questions you answered correctly, which
ones you didnt answer correctly, and which ones you didnt answer. Youll
see information about the type of questions and the associated content.
QAS provides additional information, including the actual test questions
themselves. The Essay prompt will only be released as part of the Question
and Answer Service.

Student Search SerVice

All students who take the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or any AP Exam
are eligible to opt into this service, which helps colleges and scholarship rec
ognition organizations find you. If you sign up during registration, your name
and contact information, plus your GPA, date of birth, grade level, high school,
e-mail address, extracurricular activities, and intended college major, will all
be put into a database that colleges and scholarship programs use when they
want to locate and recruit students with particular characteristics orinterests.
Please note:

REMEMBER

Joining the Student Search Service is voluntary.

Enrolling in the optional

Student Search Service allows
colleges and scholarship
programs to contact you to invite
you to apply.

Colleges that participate in the program dont receive your scores as

part of their membership. They may request information about students

whose scores lie in a particular range, but your scores will not be provided
through this service.
Colleges that may contact you are doing so to invite you to apply. Going

through the application process is the only way to be admitted to a

college. Colleges use the service to locate potential students who may
not have thought to apply there.
The Student Search Service is restricted to colleges, universities, and

scholarship programs that sign up. Your information will never be sold
to a commercial marketing firm or retailer of merchandise or services
(such as a test preparation company).
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increaSing acceSS to the Sat with

feewaiVerS
Students who are the first in their families to consider attending college, who
come from low-income families, or whose ethnicities are underrepresented
in colleges may feel that college isnt for them. The College Board is com
mitted to identifying and breaking down barriers that prevent such students
from applying to and enrolling in colleges that are the best academic, social,
and financial fit. Visit youcango.collegeboard.org for more information about
ways to achieve your dreams.
Students who face financial barriers to taking the SAT can be granted College
Board fee waivers through schools and authorized community-based orga
nizations to cover the cost of testing. Seniors who use a fee waiver to take the
SAT will automatically receive four college application fee waivers to use in
applying to colleges and universities that accept the waivers. You can learn
about eligibility and the other benefits offered to help you in the college
application process at sat.org/fee-waivers.

REMEMBER
Visit sat.org/fee-waivers to learn
more about SAT fee waivers as
well as college application fee
waivers.

Time to Get Started

Want to know the difference between good test-takers and bad test-takers?
Its not biochemical or genetic. Successful test-takers understand that the SAT
is a unique opportunity to demonstrate readiness for college and career suc
cess. They approach the SAT as an opportunity, not a hurdle, confident that
with the right amount of practice they can achieve a strong outcome. In this
way, taking the SAT increases the opportunities you have in your life.
Increasing opportunity is at the heart of the College Boards work with
Khan Academy. Beyond sharing the detailed test plans with Khan Academy,
College Boards test developers are reviewing every SAT-like item that
appears within Khan Academys program and are providing in-depth feed
back on Khan Academy practice tests. This means that time spent on Khan
Academy practicing for the SAT is like having a sneak peak at what youll see
on test day. College Board test developers helped train Khan Academys con
tent experts in how to develop test questions like those that appear on the
SAT and provide ongoing guidance and support of Khan Academys practice
test content. And its all free for you.
As you learn more about the SAT from this guide, you should also use the
resources and practice available on Khan Academy at khanacademy.org/sat to
refresh and improve your skills. On the Khan Academy site, you will receive
personalized guidance and instruction that is focused specifically for you.
Throughout this guide youll see a lot of references to practice where you
may be used to seeing test prep. Thats intentional. The redesigned SAT,
PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10, and the new PSAT 8/9 focus on what matters
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most for college and career readiness. The act of preparing for the SAT,
therefore, is not just a one-time hurdle that must be overcome, but part of a
deep engagement in improving your fluency with mathematics, literacy, and
other skills that will serve you well in college, career, and life.
As you embark on this important transition in your life, we ask that you
commit yourself to a growth mindset that will help you improve your per
formance and your results. Colleges are looking for students like you. The
SAT is a major tool that they use to find you. Commit yourself to the kind
of productive practice that will earn you a strong SAT score and increased
options for the next step in your journey.
Congratulations on taking this important step.

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