SAT Structure

Test Structure

The new SAT has only 4 answer choices per question and does not penalize students for wrong answers, using a rights-only scoring system. The new SAT is 180 minutes long.

SAT Basics

So, what exactly will you see on the latest version of the SAT? Multiple-choice, free-response questions and the essay.

All the questions on the evidence-based reading and writing section of the SAT are multiple-choice with four answer choices. The math section is mostly multiple choice but it also includes thirteen free-response questions where you have to come up with the answer on your own. And of course, there's also the essay. The essay used to be required and part of the writing section, back when the SAT had a writing section. Now it's totally separate and also optional. Some colleges require it and others don't.

Two sections; three tests: On the old SAT you got 10 short groups of questions, so you were switching back and forth from reading to writing to math every 20 to 25 minutes or so. On the new SAT, the questions are clumped together by subject area into three longer tests. The math section has one test: the math test. It's 80 minutes long. The evidence-based reading and writing have two tests: the reading test and the writing and language test. Reading is 65 minutes and writing and language are 35 minutes. The reading test is a revised version of the old critical reading section and the writing and language test is a revised version of the old writing section. When you take the SAT, you'll do all the math questions together, all the reading questions together, and all the writing and language questions together. The essay will be last and it's optional. If you take it, it's 50 minutes long.