The SAT is a long exam, and it tests your knowledge of a lot of topics. To get a top score, you'll need to have strong skills across reading comprehension, algebra, grammar, geometry and more. The SAT is also infamous for its tricky wording and sometimes confusing questions.
To excel on the SAT, you need to know what to expect from it, and the best way to do that is to become familiar with the types of questions you'll see on the test. That's where we come in! This guide includes official sample questions from Khan Academy for every type of SAT question you'll see for both the Reading and Writing section and Math section. There are over a dozen question types, and we explain them all with these new sample SAT questions. We'll also go over what to expect from the exam and where you can find additional study resources.
What's the Format of the SAT?
The SAT is out of 1600 points distributed into two chunks: 800 points for the Reading and Writing section, and 800 points for the Math section. The lowest possible score is 400 points (200 on each section). The SAT is now fully digital and taken fully on the computer. The digital SAT lasts 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Each of the two sections is divided into two equally-long modules. After the second Reading and Writing module there is a ten-minute break. Most of the SAT consists of multiple-choice questions with four answer choices. However, some of the math questions are “Grid-Ins,” or “Student-produced responses,” which require you to calculate an answer and then type your response in on the computer.
This chart tells you the order, number of questions, and time for each section.
|
Section
|
# of Questions
|
Time in Minutes
|
|
Reading and Writing
(Module 1) |
27
|
32
|
|
Reading and Writing
(Module 2)
|
27
|
32
|
|
Math (Module 1)
|
22
|
35
|
|
Math (Module 2)
|
22
|
35
|
|
Total
|
98
|
2 hours, 14 minutes
|
SAT Sample Questions for Reading and Writing
On the digital SAT, the Reading and Writing section lasts 64 minutes and contains 54 questions. Each question is based on a passage, and there will only be one question following each passage.
There are four main topics you'll be tested on in this section, each with a subset of question types, for a total of 11 question types.
Information and Ideas Questions
These questions measure comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills. They also measure your ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas from texts and informational graphics (tables, bar graphs, and line graphs).
There are four types of Information and Ideas questions:
Command of Evidence (Textual)
These questions will introduce a claim and ask you to identify the piece of evidence from the passage that most strongly supports that claim.
(The correct answer is C.)
Command of Evidence (Quantitative)
These questions will contain a graph or table. They'll provide some context and ask you to complete a sentence by using the data from the graph/table.
(The correct answer is A.)
Central Ideas and Details
These questions will ask you to identify the main idea of a passage or answer a specific question based on the passage.
(The correct answer is D.)
Inferences
These questions will include an incomplete passage and ask you to select the answer choice that most logically completes the passage.
(The correct answer is D.)
Craft and Structure Questions
Craft and structure questions measure the comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills needed to understand and use high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make connections between topically related texts.
There are three types of Craft and Structure questions on the SAT:
Words in Context
These questions ask for the most logical and precise word/phrase in a given context.
(The correct answer is C.)
Text Structure and Purpose
These questions ask you to identify the main purpose or overall structure of the passage.
(The correct answer is C.)
Cross-Text Connections
These questions will contain two passages. You'll be asked to compare the points of view of the authors of the two passages.
(The correct answer is D.)
Expression of Ideas Questions
Expression of Ideas questions measure the ability to revise texts to improve the effectiveness of written expression and to meet specific rhetorical goals.
There are two types of Expression of Ideas questions on the SAT:
Transitions
These questions ask you to select the most logical transition word or phrase to connect information and ideas within a passage.
(The correct answer is C.)
Rhetorical Synthesis
These questions include a series of bulleted notes and ask you to use relevant information from the notes to answer the question.
(The correct answer is C.)
Standard English Conventions Questions
Standard English Conventions questions measure the ability to edit text to conform to core conventions of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
There are two types of Standard English Conventions questions on the SAT:
Boundaries
These questions contain a passage with a blank and ask you to complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. They focus on how phrases, clauses, and sentences are linked together in written English.
(The correct answer is C.)
Form, Structure, and Sense
These questions contain a passage with a blank and ask you to complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. They focus on the rules surrounding various parts of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.) and their usage.
(The correct answer is B.)
SAT Sample Questions for Math
On the digital SAT, Math is 70 minutes long and contains 44 questions, divided equally between two modules. Of those questions, 33 will be multiple choice with four answer choices, and 11 will be grid-ins, where no answer choices are given and you must type in your answer. You can use a calculator for every SAT Math question.
The Math section tests skills in four main areas: algebra, advanced math, problem solving and data analysis, and geometry and trigonometry. Below is a sample question in each category. Both multiple-choice and grid-in questions are shown.
Algebra
Algebra questions will focus on solving, analyzing, and creating linear equations, systems of equations and inequalities. There will be roughly 13-15 algebra-related questions on SAT Math. Topics tested include:
- Linear equations in 1 variable
- Linear equations in 2 variables
- Linear functions
- Systems of 2 linear equations in 2 variables
- Linear equalities in 1 or 2 variables
(The correct answer is 3.5)
Advanced Math
Advanced math questions on the SAT focus on skills needed to pursue additional studies in math in subjects like economics or STEM subjects. These questions test skills on topics such as absolute value, quadratic, exponential, polynomial, rational, radical, and other nonlinear equations. You'll see 13-15 advanced math-related questions.
Topics tested include:
- Equivalent expressions
- Nonlinear equations in 1 variable
- Systems of equations in 2 variables
- Nonlinear functions
(The correct answer is A.)
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
These questions test your ability to be quantitatively literate and apply quantitative reasoning to ratios, rates, and proportional relationships. There will be about 5-7 of these questions on SAT Math.
Topics tested include:
- Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units
- Percentages
- One-variable data: distributions and measures of center and spread
- Two-variable data: models and scatterplots
- Probability and conditional probability
- Inference from sample statistics and margin of error
- Evaluating statistical claims: observational studies and experiments
(The correct answer is B.)
Geometry and Trigonometry
There will be about 5-7 geometry and trigonometry questions on SAT Math.
Topics tested include:
- Area and volume formulas
- Lines, angles, and triangles
- Right triangles and trigonometry
- Circles
(The correct answer is 11.)
Where to Find More SAT Sample Questions and Practice Tests
Now that you have a solid understanding of the types of questions you'll see on the SAT, you can move on to taking SAT practice tests. Practice tests are a great way to get an idea of how you're scoring on the SAT, how you handle the time pressure, and what question types and skill areas you need to concentrate on. We cover both official and unofficial resources below.
Official Resources
Official SAT tests released by the College Board are the absolute gold standard for SAT practice questions. Each official practice test contains real questions given to actual students at previous administrations of the SAT.
Practice Digital SAT Exams
The closest you can get to taking the actual SAT is the free, full-length practice exams in Bluebook, College Board’s online testing platform. The six available practice tests provide you with a sneak peek of the interface, format, and scoring of the online test, so they’re a useful tool as you prepare for the digital format. These are the best SAT study resources out there, so use them wisely!
We recommend taking one right when you begin studying for the SAT to get a baseline score and another right before you take the exam. The other four should be spread throughout your study period, and you should take each one seriously so you have an accurate idea of how you're improving and what you still need to work on.
Practice Paper SATs
The College Board recommends that if you’re planning to register for the digital SAT, you shouldn't take paper-based practice tests to prepare unless you have testing accommodations for a paper-based test. That's because these paper tests are longer, not adaptive, and don't have the same format you'll see on the digital SAT. However, they're still a great source of new sample SAT questions, and we recommend making use of them as long as you make sure to also use the digital practice tests above. There are currently six practice exams based on the current paper version of the SAT:
Practice Test 1: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Practice Test 2: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Practice Test 3: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Practice Test 4: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Practice Test 5: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Practice Test 6: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations
Khan Academy
Since 2015, College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to provide SAT prep resources. These free resources include a course designed to familiarize you with the different skill sets tested on the digital SAT. For example, you can explore the different levels of SAT Math topics (e.g., problem-solving, algebra, and geometry) and Reading and Writing questions, from grammar and argument to connecting ideas or texts.
The course provides reading materials, video tutorials, and practice questions as well as lessons and test-taking strategies designed to help you better understand what to expect on the new digital SAT. Khan Academy’s Official Digital SAT Prep also offers diagnostic quizzes and a full-length test to prepare you for the online version of the test.
For more official SAT practice tests, check out our guide with even more study materials!
Unofficial SAT Sample Questions
Unofficial resources are riskier than official ones because you have to make sure they are actually a good representation of the SAT (many aren't). However, we've checked all of these, and they do a solid job of recreating the digital SAT.
Barron’s Digital SAT Preview
Published in September 2022, Barron’s eBook Digital SAT Preview: What to Expect + Tips and Strategies provides an overview of the digital SAT. You can also find one full-length practice test with a scoring guide and answer explanations. This short eBook is free and available from Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher’s website.
Princeton Review Practice Test
Princeton Review offers one free digital SAT practice test that's designed to look very similar to the real digital SAT in terms of interface and user experience. You'll need to create an account to access it.
Kaplan Practice Test
Kaplan offers one free digital SAT practice test. You can access it after creating a free account. Along with the test, Kaplan includes a few free additional resources, such as videos on how to approach different SAT questions, as well as several practice questions.
Prep Books
These books aren't free (unless you borrow them from the library), but if you're looking for additional SAT practice tests, as well as guidance for how to build skills in different areas the SAT tests, check out our guide to the best SAT prep books for the digital SAT.
Conclusion: New Sample SAT Questions
By studying SAT sample questions, you familiarize yourself with the exam and get a better understanding of the types of questions you'll see and the topics they'll test you on. You can then use that information to determine which question types you likely need to study for. Once you have a solid understanding of sample SAT questions, you can take practice SAT exams and supplement with study resources to build up your knowledge and reach your SAT goal score.
What's Next?
Now that you understand the kinds of problems you'll be facing, it's time to brush up on the content of the test and establish a regular practice regimen.
Not convinced of how important this process can be? We have articles that specifically address why you need to prepare for the SAT and how many hours you should expect to commit, as well as the bigger picture of how long the process is going to take.
Are you ready to get started? Get answers to your questions about when you should start studying, creating a study plan as a sophomore or junior, and creating a study plan as a rising senior.
Not sure how to set a goal score? Read our article on deciding where to set your sights for the SAT.
If you'd like help identifying which types of questions need the most work and how you can drill them, you may wish to consider a program with PrepScholar.
