In March of 2016, the SAT underwent its biggest change in 30 years. Our awesome research team closely monitored the changes to make sure counselors, parents, and students got the inside scoop. Here’s a brief overview of the test.
The SAT: In-depth Details
SECTIONS |
2 sections |
SCORING |
Total score (400–1600)
|
LENGTH OF TEST |
3 hours (without essay) |
ANSWER CHOICES |
4 answer choices per question |
INCORRECT ANSWER PENALTY |
No penalty for incorrect answers |
FORMAT OF TEST |
Paper and pencil and a computer-based option |
READING AND WRITING |
|
MATH |
Focuses on:
|
CALCULATORS |
|
THE ESSAY |
|
SAT is a trademark registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affi liated with, and does not endorse, this product [site].
With over 1.8 million test-takers per year, the SAT is the most well-known
The content on the SAT will be very similar to that which is on the ACT. The major difference is in how the concepts are tested and the steps students will have to take to solve problems correctly. Students will have to reason their way through this exam by tackling problems in a linear and sequential fashion. Your ability to process information quickly will be the key.
Changes You'll Love |
Changes You Won't Love |
• No penalty for wrong answers, so you don’t have to worry about losing points for wrong answers (Just like on the ACT) • More familiar vocabulary, but you’ll need to know multiple definitions of those words • Sayonara sentence completions! |
• Questions require multiple steps to get an answer |
Are My Scores Here Yet?
If you take the New SAT in March 2016, The College Board will hold scores from the test until after the May 2016 administration. That's a long and likely stressful waiting period for students to get their scores.
How Should I Prep for the SAT?
The SAT is still a timed pencil and paper test. Speed and accuracy count. Our Research and Development team are SAT experts. They have created world class content for our new courses and online resources to help students navigate these changes and be prepared on test day.
For more details on the changes coming in March, click Current/SAT Comparison.
Want advice from our test prep and college entrance experts? Click What Now? to get the most up to date information.
SAT is a trademark registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affi liated with, and does not endorse, this product [site].
Colleges will accept either the SAT or ACT. So which should you take?
It's all about the numbers. Some students end up scoring substantially higher on the SAT- others do better on the ACT. The Princeton Review ME offers a free assessment to help you determine which test is best for you.
Since the March 2016 redesign of the SAT, there are fewer differences between the SAT and ACT. The 3 main differences are here:
ACT questions tend to be more straightforward.
ACT questions are often easier to understand on a first read. On the SAT, you may need to spend time figuring out what you're being asked before you can start solving the problem.
The ACT has a Science section, while the SAT does not.
You don't need to know anything about amoebas or chemical reactions for the ACT Science section. It is meant to test your reading and reasoning skills, based upon a given set of facts. But if science isn't your thing, the SAT might be a better fit.
The ACT requires you to work faster, while the SAT gives you more time.
Take a look at this graph below, which analyzes how much time you are given (on average) to answer a question on both tests:
SAT |
Time |
Questions |
Minutes Per Question |
Math |
80 minutes |
58 questions |
1 minute 22 seconds |
Reading |
65 minutes |
52 questions |
1 minute 15 seconds |
Writing and Language * |
35 minutes |
44 questions |
47 seconds |
ACT |
Time |
Questions |
Minutes Per Question |
Math |
60 minutes |
60 questions |
1 minute |
Reading |
35 minutes |
40 questions |
52.5 seconds |
English * |
45 minutes |
75 questions |
36 seconds |
Science |
35 minutes |
40 questions |
52.5 seconds |
* SAT Writing and Language is similar to the ACT English
You can see that the ACT expects you to answer almost everything in less than a minute, while the SAT always gives you more time.
College admissions officers care about how you did on each section of the SAT. On the ACT, they're most concerned with your composite score. So if you're weak in one content area but strong in others, you could still end up with a very good ACT score.
SAT is a trademark registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affi liated with, and does not endorse, this product [site].