SAT Exam Syllabus 2024 - Download Section Wise Syllabus PDF

Updated on Jan 12, 2024 - 2:09 p.m. IST by M Anusha

SAT Exam Syllabus 2024 - Only the Digital SAT version is available for the year 2024 onwards. The
College Board, which is the conducting body of the SAT exam, prescribes the SAT syllabus 2024. The
test content focuses mainly on the SAT exam subjects like English and maths. Here, there are 2
sections in SAT exam syllabus: Reading and writing and the Math sections.

The recent changes in the SAT syllabus are brought to accommodate the rising needs of students
and educators. The SAT exam measures the reading, writing, language, thinking skills, and math
knowledge of the candidate. To prepare for the SAT exam syllabus the general high school skills and
knowledge are sufficient. Read the article to know the detailed section-wise Digital SAT test syllabus,
question formats, etc.

SAT Exam Pattern 2024

Have a quick glance at the SAT pattern before the SAT exam portion to know about the test timings
and sections. This digital SAT test pattern is also shorter in duration and covers a total time of 134
minutes.

SAT Exam Pattern - Overview

Score
Sections Number of Questions/Tasks
Scale

54 (50 operational questions, 4 pre-test

44 (40 operational questions, 4 pre-test

Total (134 minutes) 98 400-1600

What is SAT Exam Syllabus 2024?

Let us discuss the section-wise detailed digital version of SAT syllabus. There are two sections

• Reading and Writing (RW section)

English and maths are the main SAT exam subjects. In the new Digital SAT syllabus, the reading and
writing sections are combined into one section. The SAT exam syllabus does not include science
subjects, history, social etc. However, the candidates can come across passages and questions that
have content related to science, social or any other fields, etc.

For these questions the candidates have to apply English, maths, reasoning skills etc., to solve them.
Students who want to start preparation for the SAT are advised to download the SAT exam syllabus
PDF to get a clear idea of the exam

SAT Reading and Writing Section Syllabus

The RW section of the SAT syllabus consists of reading passages with single MCQ-type questions. A
total of 54 questions are asked in this section. Each passage in the RW section of the SAT exam
syllabus is of 25 to 150 words. The passages are sourced from subjects like history, social sciences,
science, humanities, and literature. These questions represent any one of the four domains
mentioned below.

Information of Ideas - These types of questions in the SAT syllabus measure the reasoning skills,
analysis, comprehension and abilities of the candidate to locate, interpret, evaluate, and locate, the
information from the given text, graphs, tables, etc.

Craft and Structure - These types of questions measure the reasoning skills, vocabulary, analysis,
synthesis, comprehension and knowledge required to understand high-utility words and phrases in
the context.

Expression of Ideas - Measures the ability to revise and improvise the expression to meet the
rhetorical goals.

Standard English Conventions - Measures the ability to edit the text matching English standard
conventions.

Here are the number of questions and their percentage in the SAT exam syllabus.

SAT RW Syllabus Question Distribution

Domain Content Number of Questions Distribution

Craft and Structure 13-15 28%

Information and Ideas 12-14 26%

Expression of Ideas 8-12 20%

The domains of craft and structure and information of ideas asses the reading skills whereas the
Standard English conventions and expression of ideas assess the writing skills of the candidate.

As the SAT is desired when applying to undergraduate-level courses abroad, the SAT syllabus in the
RW section is aligned with the demands of colleges and their requirements.

SAT Math Section Syllabus

The SAT maths syllabus concepts are the concepts required for colleges. The following is the maths
syllabus for SAT exam.

Algebra - In the algebra of SAT exam syllabus, linear equations and inequalities-related questions as
following are asked.

• Linear equations in 1,2 variables

• Systems of 2 linear equations in 2 variables

• Linear functions

• Linear inequalities in 1 variable or 2 variables

Advanced Math - The advanced Math in the SAT syllabus focuses on the Math required in studying
science, economics and other STEM courses.

The advanced maths includes the following.

• Absolute value

• Polynomials

• Nonlinear equations

• Quadratic exponential

• Rational and radical expressions

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis

In this domain of the Math SAT syllabus, the following knowledge points are tested.

• Ratios, rates, units and proportional relationships

• One-variable and two-variable data

• Probability, Conditional probability

• Inference from sample statistics and margin of error

• Evaluating statistical claims of observational studies and any experiments

Geometry and Trigonometry

The following concepts are found in the Geometry and Trigonometry SAT exam syllabus.

• Area and volume

• Lines, angles, triangles, right triangles, trigonometry

• Circles

The questions for the Math SAT syllabus are asked in MCQs and student response questions like fill
in the answers. There are 30 % in-context math questions. These “in context questions” require the
candidate to understand the concept of various fields like social science, etc and apply the Math skills
and knowledge to solve the question.

Calculator Usage - Candidates are free to use the calculator in the entire maths section. For some
minor calculations, it is suggested to not use a calculator even though it is allowed.

Also read:

• SAT Preparation Tips 2023

• How to calculate SAT scores

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - SAT Exam Syllabus 2024 - Download

Question: Is there any negative marking if I give the incorrect answers to the SAT questions?

Answer:
No, there is no negative marking for answering the questions incorrectly. Candidates are advised to
answer all the questions.

Question: How many questions are asked in the SAT maths section, can I use a calculator for
answering the questions?

Answer:

There will be a total of 58 questions in the SAT maths section and you can use a calculator only for all
the questions in this section. Previously there was a limit on the calculator usage but currently, it can
be used through out the math section during the test.

Question: What subjects are included in the SAT exam syllabus?

Answer:

The syllabus includes the SAT exam subjects like English and Maths. The English subject is tested in
both reading and writing sections. The SAT