Number and operations questions
- Arithmetic word problems (including percent, ratio, and proportion)
- Properties of integers (even, odd, prime numbers, divisibility, and so forth)
- Rational numbers
- Sets (union, intersection, elements)
- Counting techniques
- Sequences and series (including exponential growth)
- Elementary number theory
Equations and Functions questions
- Substitution and simplifying algebraic expressions
- Properties of exponents
- Algebraic word problems
- Solutions of linear equations and inequalities
- Systems of equations and inequalities
- Quadratic equations
- Rational and radical equations
- Equations of lines
- Absolute value
- Direct and inverse variation
- Concepts of algebraic functions
- Newly defined symbols based on commonly used operations
Geometry and measurement questions
- Area and perimeter of a polygon
- Area and circumference of a circle
- Volume of a box, cube, and cylinder
- Pythagorean theorem and special properties of isosceles, equilateral, and right
triangles
- Properties of parallel and perpendicular lines
- Coordinate geometry
- Geometric visualization
- Slope
- Similarity
- Transformations
Data analysis, statistics, and probability questions
- Data interpretation (tables and graphs)
- Descriptive statistics (mean, median, and mode)
Passage-Based Reading Questions
Reading passages are taken from different fields, including:
- Natural Sciences
- Humanities
- Social Sciences
- literary fiction/Nonfiction
Reading Passages:
- are literary fiction
- often have line numbers or numbered elements that are then referenced in the
questions that follow
- range in length from 100 to about 850 words
- have narrative, argumentative, or expository elements
- may be paired with related passages on a shared theme or issue
Students will be asked to:
- determine the meanings of words from their context.
- demonstrate their understanding of information, including the main idea of a
passage.
- synthesize and analyze information, including identifying cause and effect,
making inferences, understanding the logic of analogies or arguments, evaluate
the author's assumptions and techniques.
Sentence-Completion Questions
Each sentence-completion question requires students to select the most suitable
word(s) to fill in the blank(s) in a sentence, with the goal of accurately conveying
the meaning of the sentence in its entirety.
Multiple-choice writing questions
The multiple-choice questions assess students' ability to:
- Communicate ideas clearly and effectively.
- Improve writing through revision and editing.
- Recognize and identify sentence-level errors.
- Understand grammatical elements and structures and how they relate to each other
in a sentence.
- Demonstrate the ability to effectively convey ideas by combining sentences and
utilizing transitional words and phrases.
Multiple-choice writing questions are used in three areas:
Improving sentences
This type of question presents a sentence in which part or all of it is underlined,
followed by five phrasing choices to replace the underlined section.
Assessment
This type of question presents a sentence with four portions underlined. The student
is asked to select which of the underlined portions represents a grammatical or
usage error, or, if no errors are present, to select the choice "E - No error."
The questions measure the ability to:
- recognize and correct faults in grammar and sentence structure.
- recognize effective sentences that follow the conventions of Standard Written
English and identify sentence errors.
- recognize faults in grammar and usage.
- recognize effective sentences that follow the conventions of Standard Written
English.
Improving paragraphs
This type of SAT question presents a passage and requires students to answer
questions based on it. Some questions refer to specific sentences or parts of
sentences, asking students to improve their structure or word choice. Other
questions focus on the organization and development of ideas presented in the
passage.
This type of question measures students' ability to:
- edit and revise sentences in the context of a paragraph.
- organize and develop paragraphs in a coherent and logical manner.