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SAT Sections
Critical Reading, Math and Writing on the SAT

By Kelly Roell, About.com

The SAT is more than one big test; it’s a compilation of smaller, timed segments that are subdivided in the following sections.

Each section is worth between 200 and 800 points, so if you’re a brainiac, you have the chance of scoring a 2400. If you’re like the rest of us, a typical score lies somewhere in the 1500-1600 range.

Section Time Questions Knowledge Tested
Critical Reading 70 minutes
  • 19 Sentence Completion
  • 48 Reading Comprehension
  • Vocabulary
  • Main idea
  • Inference
  • Fact vs. Opinion
  • Logic
  • Semantics
Math 70 minutes
  • 44 Multiple choice
  • 10 Grid-ins
  • Basic arithmetic
  • Algebra I and II
  • Geometry
Writing 60 minutes
  • 18 Identifying sentence errors
  • 25 Improving sentences
  • 6 Improving paragraphs
  • 1 essay
  • Grammar
  • Language usage
  • Word choice
  • Essay construction
  • Sentence mechanics
  • Organization
Experimental 25 minutes
  • Multiple Choice
  • Varies
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