The Guide to Mastering the SAT English Section
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
● The SAT is a standardized exam used across the United States to test proficiency in the
areas of English and Mathematics and is used for the college admission process in the
United States. It consists of two sections - English and Mathematics, each of which is
scored out of 800 points, for a total of 1600 points:
○ Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (English) - 800 points
■ Contains two subsections: Reading and Writing
■ Reading Subsection: 65 minutes for 52 questions
● Assesses reading comprehension and analyzation skills with
respect to text passages
● All the questions in this section are multiple choice ones
■ Writing Subsection: 35 minutes for 44 questions
● Assesses grammar, sentence structure, and editing skills in context
● All the questions in this section are multiple choice ones
○ Mathematics - 800 points
● Contains two subsections: Calculator and Non-Calcular. For both
subsections, you will be assessed on your ability to solve questions
relating to the following topics: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving
and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional
Topics (Geometry, Trigonometry, etc.)
● Non-Calculator Subsection: 25 minutes for 20 questions
○ 20 multiple choice questions, 5 grid-in (student-produced
response) questions
● Calculator-Active Subsection: 55 minutes for 38 questions
○ 30 multiple choice questions, 8 grid-in (student-produced
response) questions
This study guide focuses on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the exam.
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
,If you are studying for the exam, here are some things to remember:
● Create your own study calendar! This way you will be sure to make some time to study
for the SAT in a structured, organized manner. A popular practice schedule is to do three
days of practice on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and two days of
practice on the Mathematics section (or vice versa!) on weekdays and to take a practice
exam on the weekend, where Saturday could be used to take a practice test, and Sunday
to analyze the results of the practice test and look into any mistakes made and how to fix
them. As you approach your SAT exam day though, switch to a different gear: spend
most of your time taking, and reviewing results of, as many practice tests as possible.
● Read! On the SAT exam, you will be exposed to different types of passages across a
broad range of topics that you will be expected to be able to understand well. Reading
different kinds of passages in your free time will expose you to different writing styles
and make you more accustomed to them.
● Look for the main idea! When reading, make sure you read the first few sentences of
each paragraph in a passage over again to get a better understanding of the writing. When
in doubt, read it again, so that you are not missing any key ideas, about which there may
be questions.
● Proofread your work! By rereading and editing past work for grammar or sentence
structure mistakes, you will practice spotting errors and improve your writing - a skill
vital to mastering the SAT.
● Find out the areas in which you are struggling! During or after any study session or
practice exam, note the questions you may have struggled with. After any practice
assessment, it is important for you to go over your missed answers and become aware of
where you went wrong, and then to refamiliarize yourself with those concepts and do
more practice questions until you gain confidence in that area.
● Practice, practice, practice! You can only get better with practice, determination, and hard
work. Practice is the name of the game! Yes, you can do it!
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
,Raw Score Conversion Table - Grading
(Image retrieved from blog.prepscholar.com: How Is the SAT Scored? Scoring Charts)
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
, Evidence-Based Reading
● This section of the exam consists of five passages in total, with four single passages and
one set of paired passages (two passages in one set). Here is a breakdown of the test
passage types:
○ Literature
■ One passage with ten questions
○ History and/or Social Studies
■ Two passages OR a paired passage set with around ten to eleven questions
each
○ Science
■ Two passages OR a paired passage set with around ten to eleven questions
each
● The questions themselves are organized in a way in which the more general questions are
first and the more specific, comprehensive are after. It is important that you solve the
questions and refer to the passage together, as a lot of questions will require using
information in specific lines/parts of the passage.
Skills Tested by the Evidence-Based Reading Questions:
(Image retrieved from kaptest.com: What’s Tested on the SAT Reading and Writing Section?)
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
● The SAT is a standardized exam used across the United States to test proficiency in the
areas of English and Mathematics and is used for the college admission process in the
United States. It consists of two sections - English and Mathematics, each of which is
scored out of 800 points, for a total of 1600 points:
○ Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (English) - 800 points
■ Contains two subsections: Reading and Writing
■ Reading Subsection: 65 minutes for 52 questions
● Assesses reading comprehension and analyzation skills with
respect to text passages
● All the questions in this section are multiple choice ones
■ Writing Subsection: 35 minutes for 44 questions
● Assesses grammar, sentence structure, and editing skills in context
● All the questions in this section are multiple choice ones
○ Mathematics - 800 points
● Contains two subsections: Calculator and Non-Calcular. For both
subsections, you will be assessed on your ability to solve questions
relating to the following topics: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving
and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional
Topics (Geometry, Trigonometry, etc.)
● Non-Calculator Subsection: 25 minutes for 20 questions
○ 20 multiple choice questions, 5 grid-in (student-produced
response) questions
● Calculator-Active Subsection: 55 minutes for 38 questions
○ 30 multiple choice questions, 8 grid-in (student-produced
response) questions
This study guide focuses on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the exam.
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
,If you are studying for the exam, here are some things to remember:
● Create your own study calendar! This way you will be sure to make some time to study
for the SAT in a structured, organized manner. A popular practice schedule is to do three
days of practice on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and two days of
practice on the Mathematics section (or vice versa!) on weekdays and to take a practice
exam on the weekend, where Saturday could be used to take a practice test, and Sunday
to analyze the results of the practice test and look into any mistakes made and how to fix
them. As you approach your SAT exam day though, switch to a different gear: spend
most of your time taking, and reviewing results of, as many practice tests as possible.
● Read! On the SAT exam, you will be exposed to different types of passages across a
broad range of topics that you will be expected to be able to understand well. Reading
different kinds of passages in your free time will expose you to different writing styles
and make you more accustomed to them.
● Look for the main idea! When reading, make sure you read the first few sentences of
each paragraph in a passage over again to get a better understanding of the writing. When
in doubt, read it again, so that you are not missing any key ideas, about which there may
be questions.
● Proofread your work! By rereading and editing past work for grammar or sentence
structure mistakes, you will practice spotting errors and improve your writing - a skill
vital to mastering the SAT.
● Find out the areas in which you are struggling! During or after any study session or
practice exam, note the questions you may have struggled with. After any practice
assessment, it is important for you to go over your missed answers and become aware of
where you went wrong, and then to refamiliarize yourself with those concepts and do
more practice questions until you gain confidence in that area.
● Practice, practice, practice! You can only get better with practice, determination, and hard
work. Practice is the name of the game! Yes, you can do it!
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
,Raw Score Conversion Table - Grading
(Image retrieved from blog.prepscholar.com: How Is the SAT Scored? Scoring Charts)
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
, Evidence-Based Reading
● This section of the exam consists of five passages in total, with four single passages and
one set of paired passages (two passages in one set). Here is a breakdown of the test
passage types:
○ Literature
■ One passage with ten questions
○ History and/or Social Studies
■ Two passages OR a paired passage set with around ten to eleven questions
each
○ Science
■ Two passages OR a paired passage set with around ten to eleven questions
each
● The questions themselves are organized in a way in which the more general questions are
first and the more specific, comprehensive are after. It is important that you solve the
questions and refer to the passage together, as a lot of questions will require using
information in specific lines/parts of the passage.
Skills Tested by the Evidence-Based Reading Questions:
(Image retrieved from kaptest.com: What’s Tested on the SAT Reading and Writing Section?)
From Simple Studies, https://simplestudies.edublogs.org & @simplestudies.inc on Instagram
