The SAT primarily comprises of two sections:

In terms of maximum scores, both the sections have equal weightage. The maximum score that you can get in an SAT is 1600 with both Verbal and Quantitative sections being 800 marks each. You have 3 hours to attempt your SAT exam with an additional 50 minutes for an Optional Essay component.

VERBAL

The Verbal section of the SAT has three sections, namely:

  • Reading
  • Writing and
  • Essay (optional)

The Reading and Writing sections are mandatory components of the SAT, whereas, the Essay section is optional for students appearing for the exam. Here is how each of the sections is covered and scored:

Reading– The Reading section includes reading and comprehending passages on diverse topics and answering questions based on these passages. The section consists of a total of 52 questions to answer, for which 65 minutes (1 hour 5 minutes) are allotted. All the questions are MCQ (multiple choice questions) with only one correct answer. The passage topics covered in this section include literature, historical documents, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Writing– The Writing section covers topics such as the English language, grammar usage, and editing. The writing section is similar to the reading section- it is evidence-based and tests your ability to make accurate use of English in the writing and editing context. In this section, you will find 44 multiple-choice questions that need to be answered within 35 minutes.

Essay (optional)- The third section in the Verbal component of the SAT is the Essay section that is optional and requires students to critique on an essay/speech and present their opinions in the form of answers about the author presents persuasive arguments in the passage. This section is unique from the Reading and Writing sections in the sense that students are required to critically analyse the given text and offer their critical arguments as responses. This evidence-based reading and writing section judges the test takers on three criteria:

  • Reading
  • Analysis and
  • Writing

That maximum score that you can achieve in these three areas is 8 each with a total score of 24. It is worth noting that if you take the SAT with the optional essay component, you would be subject to higher test fees as compared to taking the SAT without the essay.

QUANTITATIVE

The quantitative component of the SAT assesses your skills in Mathematics under two sections – Calculator-based and No Calculator. These two sections present the students with different types of quantitative questions and are time-bound. The objective of the questions is to test problem-solving and critical thinking skills of the test-takers in a controlled time parameter, which also tests their ability to handle pressure and tight deadlines. The sections are as follows.

Mathematics 1– This section of the SAT Quantitative test asks students to answer 20 questions in 25 minutes without the use of a calculator.

Mathematics 2– This section of the SAT Quantitative test allows students to use a calculator to answer 38 questions in 55 minutes.

The total time you get to answer the Quantitative questions is 80 minutes. It is also worth noting that the two Mathematics sections test your abilities in areas related to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Trigonometry, among other critical thinking and data analysis problems.