-
- Math
- Science
- Business
- AP Exams
- By Grade Level
-
- San Diego
- Berkeley
- Salt Lake City
- Denver
Know the test before you sit for it: the sections and timing, how the adaptive modules work, the Bluebook tools, and a practical plan for every question type. Free, from the tutors at High Performance Tutoring.
The digital SAT is taken in College Board's Bluebook app: two sections, each split into two modules.
sections: Reading & Writing, then Math
modules per section, the second adapts to you
of testing, plus a 10-minute break
total score (200 to 800 per section)
Average: about 71 seconds per question.
Average: about 95 seconds per question.
Each section adapts once, between its two modules. Here is the whole system in one picture.
Practice with these in Bluebook before test day so they save time instead of costing it.
A full graphing calculator on every Math question.
Open the reference panel on any Math question for the common area, volume, and triangle formulas.
The bookmark icon flags a question. The review page shows flagged and unanswered questions so you can jump back.
Cross out answer choices you have ruled out. You can undo it.
Highlight text in a passage and leave yourself a note.
Counts down the current module. You can hide it until 5 minutes remain, when it reappears with an alert.
The plan our tutors teach for every module. Adjust the checkpoints to your own speed.
Answer every question you can do with confidence. If one is eating time, pick your best answer, mark it, and move on.
Reading & Writing: around question 14 with about 16 minutes left. Math: around question 11 with comfortably more than half the time left, since the later questions are harder.
Use the review page to return to flagged questions inside the same module. Fresh eyes often see what you missed.
There is no penalty for a wrong answer. Before the timer ends, make sure every question has an answer.
The section tests four domains. Recognize the question type, then use its move.
Asks: The most logical and precise word for a blank, or what a word means as used.
Move: Predict your own word from the sentence's logic first, then match it to a choice.
SAT vocabulary list →Asks: The main purpose of a text, or the job one sentence does in it.
Move: For main purpose, name what the whole text is trying to do. For one sentence, name its job in the text (introduces, contrasts, gives an example), not just what it says.
Asks: How the author of Text 2 would respond to a claim in Text 1.
Move: State each author's position in a few words, then find the choice that matches how they relate.
Asks: The main idea of a text, or what it says about a specific detail.
Move: Say the main idea in your own words before looking. For a detail, go back and find the line.
Asks: Which finding or quotation would best support, weaken, or illustrate a claim.
Move: Name exactly what has to be shown, then keep only the choice that shows that, all of it.
evidence practice →Asks: Which choice accurately uses data from a table or graph to complete or support the text.
Move: Read the claim first, then check titles, labels, and units. The right choice must be true in the data AND fit the claim.
Asks: The choice that most logically completes the text.
Move: Pick the conclusion best supported by the text. Reject choices that go further than the evidence.
Asks: The punctuation between or within sentences.
Move: Check whether each side of the gap is a complete sentence, then pick the mark that fits.
punctuation rules →Asks: Verb form and tense, subject-verb and pronoun agreement, possessives, and modifiers.
Move: For agreement, find the subject or the noun the pronoun replaces. For verb form or tense, check whether the clause has a main verb and look for time clues.
grammar rules →Asks: The most logical connecting word or phrase between two ideas.
Move: Decide the relationship (contrast, cause, addition, example) before you look at the choices.
transition words →Asks: Which choice uses information from a set of notes to accomplish a stated goal.
Move: Find the goal in the question, then pick the choice that does that goal. Other choices may be true but miss it.
A calculator and the reference sheet are available on every question. Here is what each domain covers and how much of the section it is.
Linear equations and inequalities, linear functions, and systems of linear equations.
Quadratics, exponential functions, polynomials, radicals, and equivalent expressions.
Ratios, rates, percentages, units, probability, and reading data and statistics.
Area and volume, lines and angles, triangles, right-triangle trig, and circles.
Taking the SAT at your school on a school day? Your school sets the device and check-in arrangements, so follow its instructions.
Official sources: SAT structure · Bluebook testing tools · Device requirements · Calculator policy · ID requirements. Test rules and policies can change; check College Board before test day.
Book a free 30-minute consultation to get started. We'll review your student's goals and target score, recommend the right SAT program, and map out the path to a higher score.
★★★★★“David took the ACT and SAT each only once after his tutoring, and he was accepted to Harvard.”
Katherine K., Salt Lake City Parent
Prefer to talk? Call (801) 508-4080
30 Minutes • Phone or Zoom • No Travel Needed
Has your student taken the test before?
How would you like to meet?
Pick a date & time
Choose a time
No open times in the next two weeks. Please call us at (801) 508-4080 and we'll find a time.
Confirm your free consultation
Enter your details and we'll lock in the time you picked.
To keep times open for real families, we'll text you a 6-digit code. Confirm it on the next step and your consultation is booked.
No payment required. You can reschedule or cancel anytime from your confirmation email.
Check your phone
We texted a 6-digit code to . Enter it to confirm it's you and lock in your consultation.
We look forward to talking with you. Check your email for the details.
Create your free account → Reschedule or cancelWe have your information and a member of our team will reach out to schedule your consultation. If you'd like to talk sooner, call us at (801) 508-4080.
Rated 4.9 · 3,700+ students served
*Our best students have improved 300+ points on the SAT. Most students who complete our programs gain 150 to 300 points. Individual results vary with starting score, effort, and time invested.
