SAT: SAT Guide: Fee, Format, Dates and Minimum Scores

The SAT has two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Each section is split into two equal length modules; the first module mixes easier and harder questions, and the difficulty of the second module adjusts based on how the student did on the first, so the test adapts at the module level rather than question by question. Reading and Writing takes 64 minutes and Math takes 70 minutes, for 2 hours and 14 minutes of testing time in total, with a 10 minute break between the two sections. The test has 98 questions altogether, mostly multiple choice, with some math questions needing a typed numeric answer instead of a choice from a list.

The SAT is taken on a computer or tablet through College Board's Bluebook application, at a school or an official test centre on a fixed test date, not at home. A student can use their own device or a school managed device where the test site allows it, and connects to the test centre's own network to sign in and complete a short check in inside the app before starting.

Each section is scored from 200 to 800, and the total score, from 400 to 1600, is the sum of the two section scores. For weekend test dates, most scores are released 2 to 4 weeks after the test. Registration costs US$68 for testing inside the United States; testing outside the United States adds an international fee of $43 on top of that base fee, and a student who qualifies for a fee waiver can test at no cost.

College Board does not set a fixed expiry date on SAT scores; a result stays on a student's record and can still be reported years later. Scores move into an archive once a student has left high school and gone a year without testing, and archived scores, other than any from before 2005, can still be requested and sent. When a score report is sent five or more years after the test date, College Board adds a note that the score may be a less accurate predictor of current ability, and it is then up to the receiving institution how much weight to give it.

A student can retake the SAT as many times as they choose; College Board publishes no maximum number of attempts. At registration, or any time up until 9 days after the test, a student can name up to four institutions to receive the score report for free; naming more institutions, or sending after that window, costs a fee per report.

Colleges and universities that use the SAT set their own expectation for a competitive score at bachelor level, and this differs a great deal by institution and by how selective a programme is; the SAT is rarely asked for at master's level since it is designed for undergraduate admission. A prospective student should check the range or expectation a programme itself publishes rather than assume one figure applies everywhere.