SAT

The SAT is a college admissions exam designed to measure the level at which high school seniors or graduates can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout secondary school, as well as the critical thinking and analytical abilities needed for academic success. In demand among international students who wish to study at universities in Türkiye and among students who wish to pursue undergraduate studies at universities abroad, the SAT is used by most students to meet the admission requirements of universities in the United States.

The SAT is a college entrance exam created by the College Board, a non-profit organization founded in the United States in 1900 with the aim of connecting students with college success and access to higher education, and it was first administered in 1926. 

Originally introduced in the United States and, over time, gaining international standing in the transition to higher education and becoming widely known in many countries beyond the United States, the SAT is today recognized and used by more than 5,000 institutions, including some of the world's leading educational institutions.

The SAT, designed to measure the level at which students can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout their secondary education, as well as the critical thinking and analytical abilities needed for academic success, is sought after by international students who wish to study at universities in Turkey and by students who wish to pursue an undergraduate education at universities abroad, and it is used by most students to meet the admission requirements of universities located in the United States of America.

In addition to the vast majority of universities located in the United States and Canada, the SAT is also accepted by many universities in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and it is a requirement for students who wish to earn academic scholarships at the world's most prestigious universities, since the high scores students obtain on the SAT place them in a higher position than other students in the eyes of educational institutions.

As mentioned above, the SAT was first administered in 1926 and, after undergoing many changes over time, moved entirely to a digital format as of 2024. Today, the SAT is administered fully in a digital environment and is essentially made up of two main sections.

The Digital SAT consists of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Students have a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes, with 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section.

Each section of the exam is divided into 2 equal-length modules, and there is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing and Math sections. The first module of each section is made up of easy, medium and hard questions, and depending on a student's performance in the first module, the questions in the second module are either harder or less difficult.

Compared with the ACT, the SAT allows 68% more time per question.

While the vast majority of questions on the exam are multiple choice, some math questions require the answer to be entered digitally. There is no penalty for guessing on any question. If you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than to leave the question blank.

In the Reading and Writing section of the digital SAT, each short reading passage (or pair of passages) is followed by a single multiple-choice question. The questions in the Reading and Writing section correspond to one of four different content areas: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas. 

To help students manage their time, questions that test similar skills and knowledge are grouped together and arranged from easiest to hardest. The Reading and Writing section is divided into 2 modules, each containing questions from all four different areas. 

The passages in the Reading and Writing section range from 25 to 150 words. The passages represent the subject areas of literature, history/social studies, the humanities, and the sciences. The questions in the Reading and Writing section are divided into four different content areas.

• Information and Ideas

• These questions measure comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills and knowledge, as well as the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas from texts and informational graphics (tables, bar graphs, and line graphs).

• Craft and Structure

• These questions measure the knowledge and skills needed for comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis and reasoning, understanding and using high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluating texts rhetorically, and making connections between topically related texts.

• Expression of Ideas

• These questions measure the ability to revise texts to improve the effectiveness of written expression and to meet specific rhetorical goals.

• Standard English Conventions

• These questions measure the ability to edit text to conform to the core conventions of standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.

Reading & Writing Sample Questions

Examples of the questions in the Reading & Writing section are as follows.

The Math section focuses on the areas of math that play the greatest role in college and career success:

• Algebra

• Advanced Math

• Problem-Solving and Data Analysis

• Geometry and Trigonometry

Just like the Reading and Writing section, the Math section is also divided into 2 modules. Throughout the math section, students answer multiple-choice questions and student-produced response questions that measure their fluency with, understanding of, and ability to apply the most important math concepts, skills, and practices.

About 30% of the math questions are presented within a context. These in-context questions require students to consider a science, social studies, or real-world scenario and, in addition to understanding the context, to apply their math skills and knowledge to determine the answer to each one.

The math questions are divided into four categories. Each test module includes questions from all four categories. Within each module, the questions are arranged from easiest to hardest.

• Algebra: Algebra measures the ability to analyze, fluently solve, and create linear equations and inequalities, as well as to analyze and fluently solve equations and systems of equations using multiple techniques. Algebra includes the following question types: 

• Linear equations in one variable

• Linear equations in two variables

• Linear functions

• Systems of two linear equations in two variables

• Linear inequalities in one or two variables

• Advanced Math: Advanced Math focuses on the math students will need for further education in disciplines such as science or economics and for career opportunities in STEM fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Advanced Math measures skills and knowledge that are important for progress in more advanced math courses, including demonstrating an understanding of absolute value, quadratic, exponential, polynomial, rational, radical, and other nonlinear equations. Advanced Math includes the following question types:

• Equivalent expressions

• Nonlinear equations in one variable

• Systems of equations in two variables

• Nonlinear functions

• Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: Problem-Solving and Data Analysis measures the ability to reason quantitatively about ratios, rates, and proportional relationships; to understand and apply unit rates; and to analyze and interpret one- and two-variable data. Problem-Solving and Data Analysis includes the following question types: 

• 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

• Sample statistics and margin of error inference

• Evaluating statistical claims: observational studies and experiments

• Geometry and Trigonometry: Geometry and Trigonometry measures the ability to solve problems that focus on the following:

• Area and volume formulas

• Lines, angles, and triangles

• Right triangles and trigonometry

• Circles

Sample Math Questions

Examples of the questions in the Math section are as follows.

The Digital SAT allows the use of a calculator throughout the Math section. This means students decide when using a calculator makes sense and when it will not be helpful. Even though the Math section allows students to use a calculator, it includes some questions where it would be better not to use one. In these cases, students who take advantage of structure or reasoning skills can use their time more effectively than students who rely on a calculator.

Desmos Graphing Calculator

The Digital SAT is open to a wider audience than just first-year and senior high school students. Without any age or grade-level restriction, anyone who feels ready for the exam can register and take the SAT. This inclusive approach allows middle school students, homeschooled students, and even adult learners who wish to attend university to sit the exam.

The vast majority of those who take the SAT are high school students, generally between the ages of 16 and 18. These students usually take the exam during their middle and high school years as part of the university admissions process. Many colleges and universities use SAT scores as a component of their admissions criteria to assess whether a student is ready to undertake university-level work.

Some students may choose to take the SAT more than once, starting as early as their sophomore year, in order to improve their scores. International students who wish to apply to colleges and universities in the United States can also take the SAT. To accommodate these students, the College Board administers the SAT in many countries around the world.

In addition, those who have taken a gap year, those returning to education after a period of working, or those wishing to make a career change can also take the SAT if it is required by the institutions to which they are applying.

The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600. Both sections of the SAT, Reading & Writing and Math, each receive a score between 200 and 800. The total score is obtained by adding together the scores of these two sections of the SAT. 

On the digital SAT, no points are deducted for incorrect answers. For this reason, students can use logic to make educated guesses on questions they are unsure of. Although the adaptive nature of the SAT makes the scoring process complex, the difficulty level of the questions students encounter based on their performance during the SAT affects their final score, and the raw score derived from the number of questions students answer correctly is converted into a scaled score using statistical methods.

The SAT and its assessments make use of a multi-stage, adaptive design. The Reading & Writing and Math sections of the SAT are administered in two stages, and each stage consists of a question module containing half of the section's questions.

Students taking the SAT can use half of the section time to solve the questions in the first module of the exam, with 32 minutes per module for the Reading and Writing section and 35 minutes per module for the Math section. During this time, students can preview upcoming questions, return to previous questions, and change their answers.

The first module of the SAT consists of questions with varying difficulty levels, and once the time for the first module is complete, the second module begins. The questions given to students in the second module have varying difficulty levels tailored specifically to the students based on their performance in the first module, and the section scores are determined according to students' performance across all questions in both modules.

The digital SAT exam interface is shown below.

A good SAT score is one that helps students gain admission to the university they want to attend. Students who take the SAT should not hesitate to apply to a university even if their score is below the overall average. 

The SAT score is only one part of the entire university admissions process. The courses and grades students earn throughout high school, the application essays they write, and the extracurricular activities they participate in all help shape admissions officers' opinions of applications.

The average SAT score is around 1050, and a score above this means the student is above average. A score of 1350 or higher places students in the top 10% of test takers. 

Every university has its own score expectations, and a score that is considered average at a selective university in terms of admissions may fall in the top percentile at another university.

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), administered by the College Board, and the ACT (American College Testing), administered by ACT, Inc., are two different standardized tests preferred especially by students who wish to study at universities in the United States. 

Although most American universities today accept scores from both exams, understanding the differences between them allows students to choose the exam that best showcases their strengths and, in turn, makes their application process more advantageous. 

To understand the differences between the SAT and the ACT, it is necessary to be informed about important aspects such as the structure, content, scoring systems, and the time allotted to test takers for these exams.

The SAT

• Exam Duration

• The Digital SAT lasts approximately 2 hours and 14 minutes.

• Exam Format

• The most notable feature of the SAT, now a digital-first, computer-based exam, is its adaptive structure. 

• The difficulty of the second modules of the Reading & Writing and Math sections of the Digital SAT is adapted based on the performance students show in the first module.

• Sections of the Exam

• The Digital SAT consists of two main sections: Reading and Writing and Math. Students are given 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section, for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes. 

• Each section is divided into two modules of equal length. There is a ten-minute break between the Reading and Writing and Math sections of the SAT. 

• The first module of each section consists of easy, medium, and hard questions, and based on the performance students show in the first module, the questions in the second module will be either harder or easier.

The ACT

• Exam Duration

• The ACT lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes without the optional essay section, and 3 hours and 35 minutes with the optional essay section.

• Exam Format

• Although the ACT is offered in a paper-and-pencil written format in the United States, digital exams are used internationally.

• Unlike the new Digital SAT, the ACT does not have an adaptive structure.

• Sections of the Exam

• The ACT consists of four multiple-choice sections and an optional essay section.

• These four multiple-choice sections consist of English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (Optional).

The Digital SAT is shorter than the ACT (excluding the essay section). The adaptive format of the Digital SAT is very different from the more traditional structure of the ACT. The ACT also has a completely separate, standalone Science section that is not among the sections of the Digital SAT. On the other hand, in the Digital SAT, science-related questions are integrated into the other SAT sections.

Scoring of the SAT and ACT

On the SAT, the score students can receive ranges from 400 to 1600. The scores of the Reading and Writing and Math sections that make up the SAT correspond to a score ranging from 200 to 800. 

The total score of students taking the exam is obtained by combining the scores of these two sections. As mentioned above, there is no penalty for wrong answers on the SAT.

On the ACT, on the other hand, the composite score ranges from 1 to 36, and the score students receive within this range is obtained by taking the average of the scores of the four multiple-choice sections that make up the ACT. 

Each of the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections that make up the ACT is scored on a scale from 1 to 36. 

Just like the SAT, there is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT. If students take the optional essay test, this essay receives a score ranging from 2 to 12. This score is given separately from the scores of the other sections and does not affect the total score of 1 to 36.

Exam Dates and Registration

Both the SAT and the ACT are held several times throughout the year. The SAT is usually held on weekends and mostly in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. Registration for the SAT is done through the College Board website. 

Just like the SAT, the ACT is also held mostly on weekends and usually in February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. Registration for the ACT is also done through the ACT website.

Preparing for the SAT is a lengthy process that involves steps such as setting a target score range, taking practice tests, and building a study schedule based on the results obtained. Accordingly, it is recommended that students start studying at least 3 to 6 months in advance, or even 1 year in advance if possible. 

Before they begin studying, students are advised to research the average SAT scores of the universities and university colleges they wish to apply to, and to set a realistic target for themselves accordingly. 

Next, students should complete official digital SAT practice tests through College Board's Bluebook™ application. This way, students can obtain a baseline score that shows where they stand and see what their strengths and weaknesses are across different content areas and question types.

After this, students should create a study plan that takes into account the result they got on the practice test, their target score, and the time available to them. 

When creating this plan, students are advised to use their time wisely and to devote more time to the areas where they need to improve. While preparing the plan, students are also recommended to take their schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal responsibilities into consideration. 

Instead of long and inefficient study sessions, students should prefer short and productive study sessions that focus on the topics where they have room to improve. This is because regular, short study sessions are generally more effective than irregular, long ones.

A sample 6–7 month timeline that students can use during their preparation period could be as follows:

• Month 1

• During this month, students should become familiar with the format of the SAT and focus on the fundamental concepts in the exam's Reading & Writing and Math sections.

• Months 2–3 or 2–4

• During this period, students should focus especially on their weak areas and work on practice questions and concepts of moderate difficulty.

• Months 3–5 or 4–6

• During this period, students should focus on more advanced topics and question types and begin taking full-length practice tests more regularly, for example every two or three weeks.

• Final Month

• During the final month, students should focus on reviewing the mistakes they made on practice tests, revisiting the topics where they made errors if necessary, and start taking practice tests under time constraints.

Preparing for the SAT with the right guidance is of great importance for students. To get in touch with our expert advisors and receive detailed information about our SAT courses, click here.

The following topics should be studied when preparing for the Reading & Writing section of the SAT.

• Vocabulary 

• Vocabulary is of great importance on the SAT. When working to build their vocabulary, students should avoid memorizing words whose meanings they do not know. Instead, students should try to understand how words are used within short passages and to identify synonyms, antonyms, and the precise meanings of words in context.

• Reading Comprehension

• To develop reading comprehension skills, which are at least as important as vocabulary, students are advised to practice identifying the main idea, supporting details, and the author's purpose, as well as drawing logical inferences, in the short passages within the practice tests they complete. As they work on these short passages, students should pay attention to how information is structured and how different ideas are connected to one another.

• Grammar and Writing Conventions

• Students need to master the rules for using punctuation marks such as the comma, apostrophe, semicolon, and colon; grammar rules such as subject–verb agreement, pronoun agreement, sentence structure, and sentence elements; as well as rules relating to parallelism and the use of adjectives. 

• Rhetorical Skills

• In order to succeed in the Reading & Writing section of the SAT, it is important for students to be knowledgeable about the verbal elements used in written language and the rhetorical devices employed to make a text compelling and persuasive. Accordingly, students should know how to use transitional elements between sentences and paragraphs effectively, how to synthesize information from given notes to achieve a goal, and how to organize ideas in a logical manner.

The following topics are important when preparing for the Math section of the SAT.

• Fundamental Math Knowledge

• To succeed in SAT Math, students need to have a strong foundation. Accordingly, it is important for students to make sure they correctly understand and can apply the principles used in basic algebra, geometry, and data analysis. 

• Problem-Solving Skills

• SAT Math tests students' ability to apply mathematical concepts in order to solve problems presented as math word problems consisting of sentences of up to 50 words. For this reason, students need to develop skills such as reading comprehension and the ability to analyze what is given and what is asked.

• Use of the Calculator

• It is important for students to become familiar with the Desmos graphing calculator that is integrated into the digital SAT application. To succeed in SAT Math, students need to be able to use this graphing calculator effectively and know its functions. 

• Accordingly, it is very important that students be able to graph equations and inequalities in order to find solutions, intersection points, vertices, and so on; perform quick calculations on questions involving topics such as exponents and logarithms; use statistical functions such as calculating the mean, median, and standard deviation; use sliders to visualize how changing variables affect the graphs; and convert decimals into fractions.

Students can access SAT practice tests from College Board's website or, again from College Board, via the Bluebook™ application.

The international SAT exam dates for the 2026-27 academic year are listed below.

2026–27 Exam Dates

Fall–Spring 2026

• August 22, 2026

• September 12, 2026

• October 3, 2026

• November 7, 2026

• December 5, 2026

Spring 2027

• March 6, 2027

• May 1, 2027

• June 5, 2027

The registration fee for SAT exams held through December 2026 is $68, to which an additional $43 international fee is added.

The services listed in the table below are subject to additional charges, and the fees for all additional SAT services are the same regardless of whether students take the SAT inside or outside the United States. 

The fees listed below apply to SAT exams held through December 2026.

SAT Fees Valid Through December 2026

Registration fees and additional charges can be seen in more detail in the table below.

Score Service Fees

The fees for scoring services are as follows.