Test Preparation
 SAT Advice
 General Preparation
   SAT Introduction
      Part One
      Part Two
   Getting Motivated
   SAT Scoring
   Guessing on the SAT
   "Improving" by CB
   SAT Armamentarium
   SAT Vocabulary
 Writing Section
   The Essay
   Grammar
 Critical Reading Sect.
   Reading Comprehension
   Sentence Completion
Introduction to the SAT Pt. 2
[test prep]

Everything that is in italics is copyrighted by the CollegeBoard.

Who writes the SAT? 

The SAT Test Development Committees oversee the test and review the questions.  The committees are made up of college professors and high school teachers who are experts in their fields.  The SAT is written and reviewed by people who are knowledgeable about what you are taught in the classroom.  Each question is reviewed for fairness and content and is seen at least 12 times before it’s put on the exam.  All the questions are pretested before they are placed on the scored sections of the test and are under development for at least a year. 

Anish: This is why there is an experimental section on the test. Unfortunately, you have to deal with more than just a stressful test which may open or close certain doors for you; you are their guinea pig and get to take a section which doesn't count toward your score. In a sense, it is a good thing. At least you know the questions are pre-tested and that they are going to be fair and correct.

          The SAT has evolved over time. The most recent changes took effect for the March 2005 exam. There are nine sections on the exam - three writing sections, three critical reading sections, and three math sections - with a total of eight types of questions.

The Blue Book (The Official SAT Study Guide) has a wonderful table (Table 1.1) on page 5 which outlines the sections, question types, and number of questions.

Critical Reading Section - two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section with a total of 67 question. Tests Sentence Completion (19) and Passage-Based Reading (48).

Writing Section - one 25-minute essay, one 25-minute section, and one 10-minute section with a total of 49 multiple choice questions. Tests Identifying Sentence Errors (18), Improving Sentences (25), and Improving Paragraphs (6).

Math Section - two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, for a total of 54 questions. Tests Multiple Choice (44) and Student-Produced Responses (10).

Continue onto Getting Motivated