The SAT is a standardized test meant to show schools how prepared you are for college by measuring key skills like reading comprehension, computational ability, and clarity of expression. It’s one of two standardized college admissions tests in the US. (The other is the ACT.) It's run by the College Board, a non-profit that also administers the PSAT and the AP (Advanced Placement) program.

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The SAT has four sections, as well an optional essay. The first section will be Reading, followed by Writing and Language, then the no calculator section of Math, followed by the Math section you're allowed a calculator on. If you decide to take the SAT essay, it'll be the final section of the exam. Most SAT questions are multiple choice, but five questions on Math No Calculator and eight questions on Math Calculator will be grid-ins.

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When you take the SAT, you'll be given a total score between 400 and 1600. The SAT has two major sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (combined from Reading + Writing and Language), and Math. You can earn a scaled score of between 200 and 800 points on each section. You start with a raw score for each topic area.

 

Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly; skipped or wrong questions do not add or subtract from your raw score. That number is then converted into a scaled score through a process called equating.

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The ideal time to take the SAT for the first time is usually in winter of your junior year, when you’ve covered most of the material in school, but you still have time to take it again. 

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There are three key aspects of prepping for the SAT: learning the logic of the test, studying the content, and practicing the questions.

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Your may prefer the SAT if you:

• Works slowly.

• Reads a lot and has a strong vocabulary. (Though the new version will shift from testing obscure words to more “collegiate” words, vocabulary is still important.)

• Thinks “outside the box.” (Questions tend to test problem-solving ability rather than factual knowledge.)

• Writes well. (The essay section will be optional, but the test will still include reading and writing sections.)

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The following chart breaks down the format of the test: