SAT Fact Sheet

General SAT Information

General

• Length of the test: 4hrs (3:45 total test time and 3 five-minute breaks).
• Total number of sections: 10 (3 math, 3 critical reading, 3 writing, plus 1 unscored section).

Critical Reading

• Total Number of Questions: 67 (19 sentence completions and 48 passage-based questions).
• Total Time: 70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section).
• Maximum Score: 800; Minimum Score: 200; Average Score (2006): 503

Math

• Total Number of Questions: 54 (44 multiple choice and 10 grid-in questions).
• Total Time: 70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section).
• Maximum Score: 800; Minimum Score: 200; Average Score (2006): 518

Writing

• Total Number of Questions: 50 (49 multiple choice questions and 1 essay question).
• Total Time: 60 minutes (one 25-minute essay, one 25-minute multiple-choice section, and one 10-minute multiple-choice section.
• Maximum Score: 800; Minimum Score: 200; Average Score (2006): 497

The Unscored Section

• Every SAT includes one extra 25-minute section. This section will be identical in format to one of the other 25-minute sections on the exam, but will not be included in the scoring. (You will never be asked to write a second essay.)

Test Order

• All SATs begin with the 25-minute essay and end with the 10-minute writing section. The other sections, including the unscored one, are distributed at random in every test booklet.

Administrative Details

• The SAT Reasoning Test, or SAT I as it is officially called, is given seven times a year (Visit www.collegeboard.com), for a schedule and costs $41.50. It is given on Saturdays and begins at 8am. There are a number of special Sunday administrations for individuals unable to take the test on Saturday for religious reasons.