How the digital SAT and PSAT work

The test has two sections. Reading and Writing comes first, then a short break, then Math. Each section is split into two parts called modules, and each module has its own timer.

The digital SAT is adaptive by module. Everyone gets a similar mix of questions in the first module of each section. How you do on that module decides which second module you get: one with harder questions or one with easier ones.

The harder second module is where the top scores are. If you get the easier one, there is a lower ceiling on your score for that section. So the first module of each section deserves your full effort. Don’t rush it to save time for later, because the second module has its own clock.

Within a module, the questions are not a perfect ramp from easy to hard, so a tough one can show up early. Flag it, move on and come back. Bluebook lets you mark questions and jump around within a module.

A few questions in each module are being tried out for future tests and don’t count. You can’t tell which ones they are, so treat every question as real.

Every question has its own short passage, from a few sentences to a short paragraph. There are no long readings. The passages cover science, history, social studies and literature, but you never need outside knowledge.

• Craft and structure: what a word means in context, why a sentence is there, how two short texts relate.
• Information and ideas: the main idea, details, which quote or data point best supports a claim, and what conclusion a passage leads to.
• Standard English conventions: punctuation, where sentences end, verb tense, agreement, pronouns and modifiers.
• Expression of ideas: picking the right transition and using a set of notes to write a sentence that does a stated job.

You can use a calculator on every Math question. Bluebook has the Desmos graphing calculator built in, and you may also bring your own approved calculator. A reference sheet with common formulas is in the app too.

About three out of four Math questions are multiple choice. The rest ask you to type in your own answer, which can be a whole number, a fraction or a decimal.

• Algebra: linear equations, inequalities, systems of equations and lines on a graph. This is a big share of the test.
• Advanced math: quadratics, exponents, exponential growth, functions and equivalent expressions. Also a big share.
• Problem solving and data analysis: ratios, rates, percents, unit conversions, probability and reading tables and charts.
• Geometry and trigonometry: area, volume, angles, triangles, circles and right-triangle trig.

Each SAT section is scored from 200 to 800, so the total runs from 400 to 1600. The PSAT/NMSQT uses the same layout but a slightly lower range: 160 to 760 per section, or 320 to 1520 in all, since it is meant for younger students.

Your score isn’t just a count of right answers. Harder questions and the harder second module count for more. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave a question blank. Make your best guess and keep going.

Scores usually come out online within a couple of weeks. Many colleges superscore, meaning they take your best section scores across different test dates.

If a question takes more than about twice its share of time, guess, flag it and move on. Coming back with fresh eyes often works better than staring.

• The PSAT/NMSQT is given at school in the fall, usually in October. The one you take in 11th grade is the one that counts for the National Merit Scholarship program. Many students also take it in 10th grade for practice.
• The SAT is given on several Saturdays a year, spread across the spring, summer and fall. Sign-up closes about a month before each date, and the dates are posted at collegeboard.org.
• Many schools also give the SAT for free on a school day in the spring. Ask your counselor.
• Most students take the SAT for the first time in the spring of 11th grade, then again in the summer or fall if they want a higher score.

The College Board’s Bluebook app has free full-length practice tests that look and score just like the real thing, adaptive modules included. Khan Academy has free official SAT practice too. Taking at least one full practice test in Bluebook before test day is the best way to get comfortable with the screen, the timer and Desmos.

For a week-by-week way to use those tools, see the SAT study plan guide.