SAT
Understanding the SAT
The
SAT
is a test you need to take to apply to most colleges. Colleges use the score you get to decide whether to accept you and how muchmoney
to give you for college. This test is different from tests you need to take to graduate from high school, so often you need to prepare separately.The highest score you can get on the SAT is a
1600
. If you want to go to a 4 year school, you'll want to aim forat least a 900
. And if you want more money for college, scoring above a1200
often will unlock more free money from your school.The test lasts
3 hours
and includes a Reading, Writing, and Math section. There's also an optional Essay section, so check if the colleges you're applying to require it. Reading and Writing together make up 800 points and Math makes up 800 points.| Subject | # of Questions | Time Given | Time Per Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 52 questions | 65 min. | 75 seconds |
| Writing | 44 questions | 35 min. | 48 seconds |
| Math (No Calculator) | 20 questions | 25 min. | 75 seconds |
| Math (Calculator) | 38 questions | 55 min. | 87 seconds |
THERE IS
NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING.
WE REPEAT, NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING. So keep an eye on time, if you haven't finished and time is almost up, just bubble in answers for all the questions you didn't finish.This is super important so we're going to just make sure you got that....
Should you guess on the SAT?
Taking the SAT
You can see test days and register to take the test here. You can register on your own, but your school counselor is your best friend when it comes to planning when/how to take the SAT. Here are some questions you should ask them:
When should I take the SAT for the schools I'm applying to?
Can I take the SAT during the school day at our school?
Can I use a fee waiver to take the SAT?
Can you help me register for the SAT?
If your counselor doesn't know the answers to these questions or can't help you, email us at
help@almostfun.org
and we'll help you figure it out.