THE SAT TEST

All the basics about the SAT: what is tested and how to do well

Whether you're actively preparing for the SAT or simply want to learn more about the ubiquitous college entrance exam, it’s important you start with the basics: how many sections are on the SAT? What are the names of the SAT sections? And what kinds of skills does each section measure?  

What Are the SAT Sections?

The SAT (which was redesigned in 2016) consists of four sections: 

• Reading
• Writing and Language
• Math (which consists of two subsections, No Calculator and Calculator)

As the College Board (the creator of the SAT) puts it, all sections of the SAT work together to test “what you learn in high school” and “what you need to succeed in college.” In other words, the goal of the SAT is to ensure you possess the appropriate reading, writing, and math skills deemed necessary for success as a college student.
 Each of the SAT test sections appears only once on the exam and varies in the number of questions it contains as well as in how much time it allocates. The following table showcases some of the major features of the SAT test sections:

According to this table, the longest section (in terms of both time and number of questions) is the Math section. This is because the Math section is composed of two subsections: a No Calculator section (which always comes first) and a Calculator section. While the No Calculator section is fairly brief at only 25 minutes and 20 questions long, the Calculator section lasts for 55 minutes and contains a total of 38 questions. You may also notice a few key similarities between the Reading and Writing and Language sections. These two sections were specifically designed to test a couple of the same skills — namely Command of Evidence and Words in Context — in different ways. The two sections also combine for an overall Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score out of 800 points, so they clearly have a lot in common with each other!

Lastly, the above table highlights how all sections of the SAT are predominantly multiple choice. Most questions on the SAT contain four answer choices from which you must select one answer. On the Math section, however, you will also face a handful of grid-in questions for which you must come up with your own answers and bubble them in using the numbers provided.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of the four sections of the SAT.

The SAT Reading Section

The Reading section focuses on reading comprehension and understanding vocabulary in context. Each of the 52 questions in this section will be based on a passage or two in case of paired passages. You'll be given five passages in total:

1. passage on U.S. or world literature (fiction)
2. passages on history/social studies (non-fiction)
3. passages on science (which may include tables, graphs and/or charts)

In some areas of the Reading section, you may be given a pair of related passages instead of a single passage. You may also encounter graphs, charts, or other forms of data representation. (Note that you will not have to use any math for these questions, though you will be expected to know how to interpret the data provided.)
 As illuminated in the table above, the Reading section test two primary skills:
 Command of Evidence: your ability to find concrete evidence within the passage to support the author’s claims or answers to specific questions
 Words in Context: your ability to decipher the meanings of vocabulary words within the context of the passage, and your ability to understand how word choice influences the style and tone of a text
 As you take the Reading section of the SAT, you'll answer the following patterns of Reading questions:

1. Big Picture
2. Little Picture
3. Inference
4. Vocabulary in Context
5. Purpose or function
6. Author Technique
7. Evidence Support
8. Data Interpretation Graphics
9. Rhetorical Strategy
10. Passage Organization
11. Tone and attitude
12. Strengthening and weakening claims
13. Analogy
14. Paired passages

For the best strategies that cover in-depth all of the above question patterns, sign up for the MASTER KEY SAT BOOTCAMP.  However, if you can’t for some reason, below are some useful tips for doing well on the SAT Reading section.

These two Reading question patterns are opposites: Big Picture questions focus on the main point of a passage, whereas Little Picture (or Function) questions focus on the function of specific lines or sentences within a passage. Your job, then, is to use contextual evidence to decipher either the author’s overall message or the function of a selected area of the text.

For this Reading question pattern, you must correctly interpret the meaning of a sentence, a group of sentences, or the entire passage.

These Reading questions ask you about the meaning of a specific word or phrase within the passage. These words and phrases may not always appear to be difficult but will usually take on lesser-known secondary meanings.  It is important to note that obvious, primary meanings of words that you are familiar with in answer choices are usually traps!  The obscure secondary meaning that you may not know has the highest chance of being the correct answer! 

This pattern of Reading question requires you to analyze the author’s stylistic choices in regards to tone, voice, perspective, etc.

For Evidence Support questions, you must locate contextual evidence for an answer to a previous question. (In other words, these questions are directly related to the questions that precede them.) To answer these questions, you must identify a particular line or group of lines from which you found the answer to a question.

A Data Interpretation question requires you to interpret data (usually in the form of a table, chart, or graph) and understand how it relates to the passage. 

Top 3 SAT Reading Tips

Once you've familiarized yourself with all of the Reading question patterns, it's time for you to employ the below top three tips for the SAT Reading section!

Because the Reading section revolves solely around passages, it's critical you dedicate the bulk of your SAT Reading prep to working with SAT-esque passages.
 The best resources, repeat the BEST resources, for passages similar to those you’ll encounter on the SAT are OFFICIAL SAT practice tests. These mock SAT tests created by the College Board offer a plethora of realistic Reading passages that closely mimic the style and form of the passages you'll be given on test day. 
 Finally, it's a smart idea to read real-life texts, such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Psychology Today, from which SAT passages are often borrowed. This way you can familiarize yourself with the type of materials you'll see on test day.

Process of elimination is an excellent strategy (and even one recommended by a perfect scorer!) that will aid you significantly on the Reading section.
 As we already know, each Reading question offers four possible answer choices of which just one is correct. This means that the other three choices must contain clear signs indicating they’re incorrect. Some of the most common reasons answer choices are eliminated are that they're:

Remember, even a single word in an answer choice can make it incorrect, so look closely for any reason to eliminate a choice before deciding on the correct one. Be sure you avoid getting caught up in answer choices that kind of sound correct — if a choice doesn’t 100-percent answer the question or is ambiguous in any way, chances are it's wrong!

Unlike the old (pre-2016) SAT, which often tested obscure vocabulary words in complete isolation, the new SAT only tests vocabulary knowledge within the context of passages. Additionally, current SAT vocabulary is only about medium difficulty, meaning many of the words tested are ones you've likely seen and may have even used before. (Woo hoo!)
 The challenging part of SAT vocabulary, however, is being able to identify lesser-known tertiary meanings of common words. What this means is, while you no longer need to dedicate hours upon hours to memorizing thousands of vocabulary words, you do need to familiarize yourself with some of the rarer meanings of common words. Likewise, you should also know how to decipher a vocabulary word's meaning based on how it's being used in a passage.

The SAT Writing and Language Section

The Writing and Language section (often referred to as simply the “Writing section”) may look similar to the Reading section, but instead of measuring your reading comprehension skills, this section measures your ability to identify and correct grammatical errors and stylistic weaknesses within passages. In other words, the Writing section is all about your proofreading and editing skills!
 Like the Reading section, the Writing section revolves entirely around passages. These passages cover a wide array of topics, including careers, history/social studies, science, and the humanities. Unlike Reading passages, however, all Writing passages are nonfiction, taking the form of narratives, arguments, and explanatory texts.
 Your primary mission on the Writing section is to correct (or leave as is, if no errors are present) words and sentences within these passages. For science-based passages containing charts or graphs, you may be asked to replace an incorrect sentence with a new sentence that more accurately reflects the data provided.
 The Writing and Language section measures the following skills:

• Command of Evidence
• Words in Context
• Expression of Ideas
• Standard English Grammar Conventions

SAT Writing and Language Question Patterns

• ＃1: Command of Evidence
• ＃2: Vocabulary in Context
• ＃3: Expression of Ideas
• ＃4: Standard English Grammar Conventions

These types of Writing questions focus primarily on the big picture of a passage and usually ask you to provide evidence for why you are making a particular change. (No translation of the example below)

These questions require you to think about the various ways ideas can be expressed in words. More specifically, you must rearrange, add, combine, or delete sentences to improve the overall flow of a passage. (no translation of the example below)

These questions require you to think about the various ways ideas can be expressed in words. More specifically, you must rearrange, add, combine, or delete sentences to improve the overall flow of a passage. (no translation of the example below)

For Standard English Conventions questions, you must correct incorrect words or phrases, so that they adhere to the basic rules of English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. If the highlighted word or phrase is grammatically sound, select “NO CHANGE.” (no translation of the example below)

Top 3 SAT Writing and Language Tips

Nearly half of all SAT Writing questions focus on standard English conventions, so naturally you can’t expect to do well on SAT Writing if you haven’t mastered the basic rules of English grammar and usage!
 This doesn't mean you must review every single grammar rule in existence — just the ones most commonly tested on the SAT. In the MASTER KEY SAT BOOTCAMP, Vo-sensei will teach you all these rules. So no more worries!

Because none of the Writing section's passages are works of fiction, your best bet is to read real-life newspaper and magazine articles, persuasive texts, and essays. As you study, you'll use these texts to hone your editorial eye, identifying transitional words and connections in thought.
 You'll also want to examine how the author builds his or her argument or main point throughout the text. What evidence does he or she provide? Is it ultimately effective? Why or why not?
 There will be a wide array of topics for Writing passages, so feel free to dig into a variety of texts. I recommend starting with major publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and Psychology Today.

To be a sharp editor, you must understand how to write well. And to write well, you must learn from the feedback on your own writing.
 Begin by noting any red marks on essays you turn in at school, making yourself aware of any errors you continuously make on your writing. If you’re confused about a mistake you've made, ask your teacher to explain the mistake and give you tips on how you can avoid making it again.
 As you write essays for school, make sure you're also paying attention to the structure of your arguments. Consider the simple "hamburger" structure of essays: you've got your introduction (top bun), your evidence and supporting details (lettuce, tomato, and meat), and your conclusion (bottom bun). Knowing how to effectively structure your own essays should over time allow you to develop a keener understanding of how SAT passages are organized.

The SAT Math Section

Onto the world of numbers! Unlike the English-centered Reading and Writing sections, the SAT Math section consists of practical, real-world math and measures the problem-solving abilities most useful for college-level coursework and future employment.

The Math section comprises two subsections:

• Math No Calculator, for which you are not permitted to use a calculator
• Math Calculator, for which you may (but aren’t required to) use a calculator

The Math section is the only section on the SAT to contain a non-multiple-choice question format called the grid-in. 22 percent of Math questions are grid-ins, so although it’s not the main question format on SAT Math, it’s crucial you understand how it works.

The Math section tests you on the following concepts:

• Heart of Algebra
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis
• Passport to Advanced Math
• Additional Topics in Math

SAT Math Question Patterns

• ＃1: Heart of Algebra
• ＃2: Problem-solving and Data Analysis
• ＃3: Passport to Advanced Math
• ＃4: Additional Topics in Math

This content area constitutes the largest focus of the SAT Math section, accounting for approximately one-third of all Math questions. Heart of Algebra questions focus on (you guessed it!) algebra — primarily linear equations, systems of equations, inequalities, and absolute values. (no translation of the example below)

There are 17 Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions on the SAT. All of these questions are on the Math Calculator subsection (meaning you'll see none of these on the No Calculator subsection). These questions focus on data interpretation (i.e., how to read charts, graphs, tables, etc.) as well as rates, ratios, percentages, linear and exponential relationships, and probability. 
 (no translation of the example below)

There are 16 Passport to Advanced Math questions on the SAT. These advanced questions test your understanding of the structure of equations and expressions, including your ability to rearrange and rewrite them. For these questions, you may be asked to solve a quadratic equation, create an exponential function, or manipulate polynomials. (no translation of the example below)

While 90 percent of the Math section deals with the three topics listed above, the last 10 percent targets what the College Board calls "Additional Topics in Math." This question type is basically a catch-all for any math concept that doesn’t fit neatly into the other three categories. Such topics predominantly deal with geometry, trigonometry, and complex numbers. (no translation of the example below)

Top 3 SAT Math Tips

• ＃1: Review Basic Math Concepts
• ＃2: Memorize Common Formulas
• ＃3: Plug In Answers and Numbers

You can’t expect to score highly on the Math section if you’re not familiar with most or all of the basic math concepts being tested on the SAT.
 To get started, review critical math concepts you should know for the SAT, including algebra, arithmetics, imaginary number, coordinate geometry, and plane and solid geometry.

Another tip is to memorize all critical SAT Math formulas you’ll need for test day. Doing this will allow you to solve many math problems that you can't solve without knowledge of a particular formula.
 But what about the reference diagram on the test? Do you really need to memorize formulas if you'll be given a list of them on the SAT? Although you may think memorizing these formulas is a waste of time, in reality memorizing them will actually save you time on test day. Here are the formulas exactly as you'll see them on the SAT:
 (no translation of the REFERENCE below)

By memorizing the formulas above, you won't need to constantly flip back to the diagram and will therefore be able to solve math problems more quickly. This will effectively give you more time to put toward other math problems that are more challenging.
 However, there is one caveat: the 12 formulas on this reference diagram deal specifically with geometry, a topic which makes up a significantly small portion of the new SAT. So while it’s crucial you memorize these formulas, it’ll be far more advantageous for you to prioritize other major laws and formulas that will not be given to you on test day and are more likely to come up on the SAT.

This final tip for SAT Math is a popular test-taking strategy: plugging in answers and numbers. In this strategy, if you’re faced with a math problem you’re unsure how to solve, you can attempt to solve it by either plugging in random numbers or plugging in answer choices one by one. Doing this will reveal which answer choice yields the correct result.
 Use the plug-in answer strategy for multiple-choice math questions that ask you to solve for a specific value. Always start with answer choice B or C, so you can determine whether to work your way up or down to get a higher or lower answer.
 For multiple-choice and grid-in questions you don’t understand, try plugging in your own numbers (or sets of numbers) to see whether equations and inequalities hold true for various values.
 Note that these strategies, though helpful, should generally only be used if you’re unsure how to solve a math problem using other methods, such as simplification and algebra. Ultimately, though, the SAT doesn’t care how you get an answer — just that it’s the correct one! So if you don't know what to do, get in there and plug away.

参考資料 25 Colleges With the Highest SAT Scores (U.S. News)