All about the SAT Reading and Writing Section Score

SAT Reading and Writing Section Scoring Areas

The SAT underwent its most recent revision in 2023 (2024 for students in the United States), when it transitioned from being a paper-and-pencil exam to a digital exam taken on a laptop, tablet, or school-managed Chromebook. As part of this revision, several important changes were made to both test content and test scoring. The SAT now consists of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete 54 questions in the Reading and Writing section, which is broken into two modules due to the nature of computer adaptive testing. Test-takers receive a mixture of easy, medium, and difficult questions on their first module, and how they perform on the first module determines the questions they will receive on their second module. If they perform well on the first module, they will receive more challenging questions on their second module; if, however, they struggle on the first module, they will receive less challenging questions on their second module. 

With regards to scoring, the College Board made the decision to streamline SAT scores in order to make them easier for students, parents, and academic professionals to understand. After completing the digital SAT, students receive three scores: 

  1. SAT Total Score
  2. Reading and Writing Section Score
  3. Math Section Score

The SAT Total score falls on a scale of 400-1600, with higher scores demonstrating a better test performance. The Reading and Writing section score falls on a scale of 200-800, same as the Math section, and subscores or various combinations of scores are no longer reported. 

The Reading and Writing section of the SAT is intended to assess skills and knowledge across four categories or content domains:

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

We will examine each section in detail below, paying special attention to what each domain assesses, the types of questions a student will be asked, and the best ways to prepare for different question types.

Information and Ideas Questions

Information and Ideas questions require students to use comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills, as well as what is stated and implied in the passage (and any accompanying informational graphics) to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas. These types of questions make up approximately 26% of all Reading and Writing section questions. According to the College Board, these questions also assess three important subskills:

  1. Central Ideas and Details: These questions focus on either the central idea of a passage or details contained within the passage and are typically drawn from a well-known work of literature or academic essay. After reading a short passage, test-takers must identify or answer a question about either the central idea or specific details.
  2. Command of Evidence (Textual, Quantitative): These questions introduce a claim about a particular subject, and students are asked to identify the piece of evidence that most strongly supports the given claim.
  3. Inferences: These questions are presented in the form of an unfinished passage that introduces information about a specific topic. Using only the provided information, students must select the answer choice that most logically completes the text.

Craft and Structure Questions

Craft and Structure questions ask students to use comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills to determine the meaning of high-utility academic words and phrases in context, in addition to evaluating texts rhetorically and establishing connections between multiple texts. These types of questions make up approximately 28% of all questions on the Reading and Writing section. The College Board has identified three important subskills that are also assessed by these types of questions:

  1. Words in Context: These questions ask students to determine the meaning of a word using only the clues provided in the text. The correct answer will seamlessly fit into the sentence while also reinforcing the overall message of the passage.
  2. Text Structure and Purpose: These questions require students to analyze how an author organized the information in a given passage, in addition to determining why a particular structure was chosen to achieve a specific purpose.
  3. Cross-Text Connections: These questions ask students to compare and contrast two passages containing information about a similar topic. Test-takers must also identify where the passage authors hold similar or differing points of view. 

Standard English Conventions Questions

Standard English Conventions questions require a student to edit texts so they conform to core conventions of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. These types of questions account for approximately 26% of all Reading and Writing section questions. According to the College Board, these questions also assess two important subskills:

  1. Boundaries: These questions require students to demonstrate their understanding of how phrases, clauses, and sentences are linked together in written English. They tend to focus on linking clauses, supplements, and punctuation.
  2. Form, Structure, and Sense: These questions ask students to demonstrate their knowledge of the rules associated with specific parts of speech and their appropriate usage. Questions focus primarily on rules related to subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, verb forms, subject-modifier placement, and both plural and possessive nouns.

Expression of Ideas Questions

Expression of Ideas questions ask students to use revision skills to improve the effectiveness of written expression according to specified rhetorical goals. These types of questions make up approximately 20% of all Reading and Writing section questions. The College Board has identified two important subskills that are also assessed by these questions:

  1. Rhetorical Synthesis: These questions require students to read several bulleted notes containing information related to a particular topic. The bulleted notes are followed by a question asking the test-taker to use the information in the notes to accomplish a specific goal.
  2. Transitions: These questions ask a test-taker to select the most logical word or phrase to connect information or ideas within a short passage. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge on one or more of the following transitions: agreement, disagreement, sequence, addition, exemplification, and cause-and-effect.

Preparing for the Reading and Writing Section of the SAT

To best prepare for this challenging section, students should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the types of questions they will be asked by taking practice SAT tests. This allows test-takers to understand how questions are worded while learning to manage their time and practice the process of elimination. While there are several professional guidebooks that can be helpful, students should make sure they are using materials designed for the most recent version of the SAT. 

Working with a test prep professional has been shown to improve student scores, as well as their confidence in their test-taking abilities. Group courses are available from reputable test prep professionals in-person or online, and one-on-one tutoring programs can be customized for those students who wish to focus on specific challenges and/or work at their own pace. 

Conclusion

The digital SAT has been streamlined in terms of both content and scoring. Test-takers receive a Total SAT score, a Reading and Writing section score, and a Math section score. Total SAT scores range from 400-1600 while section scores range from 200-800. The Reading and Writing section of the SAT contains 54 questions that students must complete in 64 minutes. The four content domains assessed by Reading and Writing questions include Information and Ideas, Craft and Structure, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas.