How long does the SAT take and time management tips

Most students want to know how time can be managed during SAT exams to avoid rush during their last minutes in the exam hall, leading to errors. 

To avoid rushing your questions in the exam hall due to insufficient time or time mismanagement, here’s what you should know. 

How long does the SAT take

From our previous article on SAT, the exam generally lasts for about 3 hours, and 50 minutes when writing the optional essay part. One has to get about 1060 marks to be able to qualify for college.

It is offered in every country and is taken 6 to 7 times a year, with over 2 million high school graduates taking this exam every year.

What to do before the Exam

  • Try to recall all the formulae you studied.
  • Check your watch and make sure it is still working correctly to avoid misguide.
  • Please go through the questions and try to get familiar with them again. Also, try to recall what formula would be used to answer the questions.
  • Practice the questions repeatedly so you can know your strengths and weakness on the various topics available. On the other hand, you also get to know where to add more efforts when studying. As you are practising, if you solve a hard and complex question, it wouldn’t be that difficult anymore during the exam. This will help you save time when tackling the questions in the exam hall.
  • You should know that whenever you fail a question, you should keep trying until you get it correctly.

How long does the SAT take

On Exam Day

This is what you will do on the exam day.

  • You must get to the exam hall on time, so you can relax. This is because if you arrive late to the exam hall, you will be uncoordinated, which can make you forget some things.
  • Go through the exam material, read the instructions very well, and understand the requirements at every point in time in the exam hall.
  • Ensure that you recall how to shade correctly, grid your answers, and input your answers correctly.
  • Go with your watch to the exam centre. It wouldn’t be a great idea to have you depend on the clock present in the hall as that might fail you.

Read this: What to bring to SAT Exam (Don’t forget any of these)

More tips on how long the SAT takes:

  • When you get to a number or a question you do not know how to solve; it is best to leave it and move to a question you know how to answer then return to it later.
  • Managing your time is one of the factors that will determine whether you have a good score or not. 
  • When going through the reading section, you should underline the important points or the keynotes first. How do you know what the essential keynotes are? well, you ought to have gone through the questions first and will know what to highlight when reading the passage.
  • Use all the time, don’t be in a hurry to leave the exam hall. Make sure you exhaust all the time. Don’t just sit, waiting for the time to pass; you can go through your work and you might be lucky to change one or two wrong answers.
  • You have to plan your essay. It can take about 20 minutes to plan your essay, write your rough sketch and then organise your points. An organised essay gives you more point. 
  • The four subjects have their time limit and when they should be taken. The exam coordinators also ensure that the students finish simultaneously and none is more advantaged than the other.

How long does the SAT take

The reading and writing section

The first part of the test is the reading and writing test section. It has two sections, first the reading section, then the writing section. You ought to complete the reading section in 65 minutes. This section comprises 62 multiple-choice questions. 

The writing and language section comprises 44 multiple choice questions to be completed in 25 minutes.

Read this: When do ACT Scores come out? (Quick Answer)

The Maths section

The first part of this exam does not require the use of a calculator. Here you answer 15 multiple choice question and five grid-in questions in 25 minutes.

The second part requires the use of a calculator with 30 multiple choice questions and eight grid-in questions. This section lasts for 55 minutes.

The optional essay part

For those who choose to write the essay part of the exam, you must complete this section in 50 minutes.

Awesome one, I hope these tips will help you manage your time effectively.

Read this: Top 9 First-Year College Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

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Obiorah Esther
Obiorah Esther
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