Frequently asked questions about the SAT

The SAT Reasoning Test is composed of three sections: Critical Reading, Writing, and Math.

SAT Critical Reading: This section contains multiple-choice questions that test sentence completion and passage-based reading. The SAT critical reading section takes 70 minutes (two 25-mininute sections and one 20-minute section).
Sample sentence completion question

SAT Writing: This section consists of multiple-choice questions and an essay and tests your ability to recognize sentence errors, improve paragraphs, and write an essay. The SAT writing section takes 60 minutes (two 25-minute sections, one 10-minute section).
Sample essay prompt

SAT Math: This section is made up of multiple-choice and grid-in questions and tests Algebra, Geometry, Statistics & Data Analysis, and Geometry. The SAT math section takes 70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section).
Sample multiple-choice algebra question

The SAT is scored out of 2400. There are three sections, and each section is worth 800. The sections scores are added together to make up your total score.

Sample SAT score

SAT essays are graded on a scale of 1 to 6 by two essay graders. The two scores are added together for your essay score. A perfect score on the SAT essay is 12. Your essay score is factored into your total writing score.

A perfect score on the SAT is a 2400. A “good” score depends what college you want to go to. We recommend looking at schools' admissions pages on their websites to find out what scores specific schools require. This will help you set your goal score for the SAT.

Guessing isn't always the best choice to make on the SAT. A quarter of a point is subtracted from your score for every multiple-choice question you answer incorrectly. However, if you don't answer a question at all, nothing is subtracted from your score. This means, generally, that if you have no idea what the answer to the question is, it's better to skip it. However, if you are able to eliminate some of the answers to narrow down the choices, it may make sense to guess.

The College Board, the company that administers the SAT, has a new policy on reporting your scores called Score Choice^TM. Score Choice lets you choose the score you want colleges to see. That means if you take the SAT twice and your second score is higher, that's the only one the college you apply to will be able to see.

However, some schools choose not to participate in Score Choice so these schools can see all of your SAT scores. Make sure to check the policy of the schools you're applying to.

Generally, the best time to take the SAT is in the spring of your junior year. This gives you plenty of time to re-take the SAT, if necessary. Most students start preparing for the SAT by the fall of their junior year.

If you have any questions about your SAT testing timeline, please do not hesitate to contact us at (877) 738-7737. Our experienced and knowledgeable test prep counselors are always available to help you understand the college admissions process and plan your testing schedule.

View our testing timeline here.

Yes! We absolutely encourage you to take a Revolution SAT Practice Exam. We offer SAT practice exams at local high schools, and we can also mail one directly to you. To give you the most accurate practice score possible, we mirror the grading of the actual SAT with our practice exams.

To sign up for a Revolution SAT practice exam in your area, enter your zip code below or just give us a call at (877) 738-7737.

Students unable to take a test on any given Saturday can take their exam at home and mail in their answer sheets to Revolution Prep. Each exam booklet is printed with home testing instructions. The exam will be graded and uploaded to the student's My Revolution account the day it is received. Certain locations also offer Sunday testing.

Revolution Prep Group Courses usually meet Tuesday through Thursday at various locations. Students who are unable to attend their assigned class are encouraged to call the Revolution office and arrange to attend another Revolution Prep class during that week. Note: by the following week, most Revolution Prep classes will have moved on to the next lecture, and make-ups may be impossible. To maximize personal attention Revolution students are encouraged to attend their assigned classes whenever possible. Students can also add individual Tutor Blocks to review missed material.

Revolution Prep encourages students who are not satisfied with their SAT or ACT score to repeat the course. Any student who attends all classes and does all of their homework (see graduation requirements) can take the class again for FREE. No new materials are provided.

Revolution Prep is committed to our students' success. If a student has missed one or more sessions but would like to repeat the class, just call and explain the situation to a representative at 1-877-REV-PREP (738-7737).

The course meets eleven times. It includes six 3-hour interactive lectures and five 4-hour practice exams over six weeks.

Lectures are generally held on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening from 6-9PM. Practice exams are usually held on Saturday mornings from 9AM-1PM. (Premium Instruction Online Course students and Private Tutoring students have the option to attend on-campus testing as well.) Specific schedules vary by location; please review detailed Group Class schedules. Search for an SAT class. Search for an ACT class.

Revolution Prep classes have an average of 15 students.

We know how busy college-bound high school students are. The last thing we want to do is give students more "busywork" that may or may not teach them anything. That's why all weekly Revolution homework assignments are customized for each individual student. Revolution Prep helps students focus on the areas where they specifically need improvement. Learn more about Revolution's approach to personalized learning.

All students will receive a Revolution Prep curriculum book, 5 practice exam booklets, and 5 sets of answer sheets.

Minutes after signing up online or by phone students should receive an email confirming enrollment. Likewise for all fax and mail enrollment forms, a confirmation email will be sent out the day the registration and payment have been received. Please contact Revolution Prep at 1-877-REV-PREP (738-7737) or answers@revolutionprep.com if you need your confirmation email to be re-sent.

Students should take the Revolution Prep course some time between the summer after their sophomore year and the fall of their senior year. As long as the student has completed Geometry, we recommend taking the course sooner rather than later to allow more time for additional practice and to retake the exam if he or she is not happy with the scores from the first attempt. Please review our testing timeline for more information.

Absolutely! In fact the summer can be the best time to prepare for the SAT or ACT because students have more time to dedicate to test prep without detracting from academic classes. Some of the highest score improvements we see are from students who take a Group Course or Private Tutoring over the summer and use the extra time they have during the summer for additional Tutor Blocks or additional independent study using the materials from the Revolution course. Find an SAT class. Find an ACT class.

Soon! Revolution runs courses leading up to nearly every SAT and ACT test administration as well as a summer session. Enroll in a SAT or ACT course session that meets your needs.

Students can enroll in a Revolution Prep course at any time, however since Revolution limits class sizes, courses often fill up weeks before they begin. The earlier students enroll the more likely it is that they will be able to enroll in a class meeting at the time and location of their choosing.

Students can join the Premium Instructor Online SAT or ACT course at any time as all class sessions are archived and can be reviewed at any time.

Students can join the on-campus SAT or ACT Group Course or Hybrid Course if they have missed no more than one lecture and no more than two exams and there is space available. (If a student misses more than one lecture, he or she can join the Group Course, but is required to purchase a Tutor Block in order to make up the material covered in the missed. Hybrid Course students must use one of their tutor sessions as a class make-up session.)

There is no reduction in cost for students who join the course late. Students who join late may not receive their materials for 2-3 business days. Students can have their materials sent the next business day for an additional fee of $60.

Students who are too busy to fit one of the Revolution on-campus courses into their schedule may want to consider the Premium Instructor Online Course. Our innovative online learning environment lets students prep for the SAT or ACT test at home, either with their teacher and fellow students or they can review the archived lessons on their schedule.

Another option to consider is Revolution Prep's SAT Private Tutoring or ACT Private Tutoring. Tutoring sessions are scheduled to meet individual students' needs.