SAT Prep – SAT Reading + Writing Basics

SAT Reading and Writing Section Basics

The SAT is composed of two sections: one Math section and one Reading and Writing section. Given the computer adaptive nature of the test, the Reading and Writing section is broken into two modules. The first module contains a mixture of easy, medium, and hard questions. Depending on how a student performs on the first module, the second module will either be more or less challenging. Test-takers have 32 minutes to complete each module, and each module contains 27 questions. This means students have a total of 64 minutes to complete the entire Reading and Writing section by answering 54 questions.

According to the College Board, the creator of the SAT, the Reading and Writing section presents short reading passages or passage pairs that are followed by a single multiple-choice question. To help students budget their time, questions that assess similar skills and/or knowledge are clustered together and arranged in order from easiest to hardest. Each question is designed to test a student’s ability to perform one or more of the following:

• Read, analyze, and use information and ideas presented in texts,
• Explain how and why authors made the choices they do,
• Revise passages to improve how information and ideas are conveyed or expressed,
• Edit passages so they meet the expectations of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.

Features of the SAT Reading and Writing Section

The SAT last underwent a significant change in 2023 for international students and 2024 for students in the United States when it transitioned from a paper and pencil exam to a digital one. At this time, several important changes were made, including reducing the number of sections, reducing the number of questions, reducing the length of the provided reading passages, and increasing the time allotted per question. We will examine each of these below, in addition to considering other important features of the Reading and Writing section.

Prior to becoming a digital exam, the SAT consisted of two reading and writing-related sections: Reading, and Writing & Language. The Reading section consisted of 52 questions test-takers had 65 minutes to complete, and the Writing & Language section consisted of 44 questions test-takers had 35 minutes to complete. Reading passages were presented across four long passages and one comparison passage, with roughly ten questions asked per passage. Students had an average of 75 seconds per Reading section question and 48 seconds per Writing & Language question.

With the transition to a digital, computer-based test, the SAT now consists of one reading and writing-related section: Reading and Writing. This section is broken into two modules, and test-takers have a total of 64 minutes to complete 54 questions. There are 54 short reading passages with only one question per passage. Students have an average of 71 seconds per Reading and Writing question.

The College Board states that Reading and Writing section questions represent one of four content domains:

1. Craft and Structure
2. Information and Ideas
3. Standard English Conventions
4. Expression of Ideas

Craft and Structure questions measure the comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills and knowledge that are necessary to understand and use high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and establish connections between texts that are topically related. The particular skills tested by these questions include words in context, text structure and purpose, and cross-text connections. Approximately 28% of the questions in the Reading and Writing section are Craft and Structure questions.

Information and Ideas questions measure comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills knowledge, as well as the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas from presented texts and informational graphics (e.g., tables, bar graphs, and line graphs). The particular skills tested by these questions include central ideas and details, command of evidence (textual, quantitative), and inferences. Approximately 26% of the questions in the Reading and Writing section are Information and Ideas questions.

Standard English Conventions questions measure the ability to edit text so that it conforms to core conventions of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. The particular skills tested by these questions include boundaries, form, structure, and sense. Approximately 26% of the questions in the Reading and Writing section are Standard English Conventions questions.

Expression of Ideas questions measure the ability to revise texts in order to improve the effectiveness of written expression and to meet specific rhetorical goals. The particular skills tested by these questions include rhetorical synthesis and transitions. Approximately 20% of the questions in the Reading and Writing section are Expression of Ideas questions.

Format of the SAT Reading and Writing Section

Having transitioned from a paper and pencil test to a digital exam, the SAT is now taken on a Windows laptop or tablet, a Mac laptop or iPad, or a school-managed Chromebook. If the SAT is being taken at a test center, students must bring their own test-taking device or borrow one from the College Board. The SAT is completed through the College Board’s Bluebook application. The SAT Reading and Writing section has a total of 54 questions, for which students are given 64 minutes. Each of the 54 questions has four answer choices. While previous versions of the SAT presented a reading passage followed by several questions, the digital SAT presents a reading passage followed by a single question.

Types of Reading Passages on the SAT Reading and Writing Section

The 54 reading passages of the SAT Reading and Writing section range from 25 to 150 words and represent subject areas of literature, history, social studies, the humanities, poetry, and science. Some passages are accompanied by tables and/or graphs.

On the digital SAT, passages are taken from many different types of sources. Students can expect diversity of textual excerpts in terms of time period, subject matter, author intent, literary style, and literary form. Some sources are historical (such as an excerpt from Elizabeth Cady Stanton's speech to the 1869 Woman Suffrage Convention), while others are contemporary (such as a 2024 article on ethics in economics). Passages in social science disciplines (e.g., urbanologist Alan Ehrenhalt's The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City) can be found alongside passages in the hard sciences (such as J.D. Watson and F.H.C. Crick's early article on DNA). Test-takers should be prepared to handle excerpts from classic fiction (including Charlotte Brontë's The Professor or F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby) as well as writings that are primarily arguing a specific viewpoint (for example, Talleyrand's Report on Public Instruction).

Types of Questions on the SAT Reading and Writing Section

Questions on the SAT Reading and Writing section are based on a variety of reading comprehension skills. Many test questions ask about the meaning of specific words in the context of the passage. These questions are usually phrased as follows: "In line x, the word y most nearly means . . . " Test-takers must then provide the best choice of synonym from a list of four options.

Some questions ask students to find the best supporting evidence for a given proposition from a list of passage excerpts, or to determine the author's reasons for providing certain types of evidence (e.g., "The authors refer to work by others in line 23 in order to . . ." or "The authors most likely use the examples in lines 6-12 of the passage to highlight the . . .").

In some cases, students must find contradictory evidence for claims made in reading passages. Some questions make reference to graphs or tables, and students must evaluate the information provided in these graphics in the context of the accuracy and purpose of the author's assertions. Broad questions about the overall purpose of a reading passage are also included, such as "The central claim of the passage is that . . ." or “The main purpose of the passage is to . . .”

Summary of the SAT Reading and Writing Section

The SAT Reading and Writing section consists of 54 questions, and a student is given 64 minutes to complete all questions in this section. Due to the computer adaptive nature of the digital SAT, the Reading and Writing section is divided into two modules. Each module contains 27 questions, and test-takers have 32 minutes to complete each module. The first module contains a mixture of easy, medium, and hard questions. The difficulty level of the questions in the second module depends on how well the student performed in the first module, with those who performed well receiving more challenging questions and those who struggled receiving less challenging questions.

The reading passages come from works of fiction, documents of historical significance, as well as works from the fields of science and social sciences. Test takers may be asked to demonstrate their understanding of how the passage author uses evidence to make a claim, define the meaning of a word based on the passage context, and analyze and/or interpret given information in a specific way based on provided details. The current version of the SAT is less about memorizing archaic vocabulary words and more about understanding words in contexts that are typically encountered in college classes or early professional life.