What is the SAT? The SAT is a college admissions test made by College Board. It tests the reading, writing and math skills you learn in high school. Today it is a digital test you take in the Bluebook app. It has two sections, takes 2 hours and 14 minutes, and is scored from 400 to 1600.
Short answer: the SAT is a college admissions test that colleges "widely accept," per College Board, and nearly 2 million students in the class of 2026 took it. To see what a score means once you have one, use our What Is a Good SAT Score tool. To see questions by test date now, browse our practice test catalog and try five sample questions from any test with no account.
What is the SAT, and what does SAT stand for?
The SAT is a standardized test that colleges use in admissions. College Board says it "measures the math, reading, and writing skills students are learning in high school," on its SAT Myths vs Facts page.
The letters once stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test." College Board's technical manual says that in 1926, "8,040 young men took what was then called the 'Scholastic Aptitude Test' at its first administration." Today College Board's pages call it the SAT. In 2026 the test marked its 100th anniversary, per College Board's September 2026 press release.
What is on the SAT?
Ready to practice? A free account opens the June 2026 Reading and Writing Question Bank and a weekly study plan.
Start 1-day free trial →The SAT has two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Each section has two modules. College Board's test structure page gives the timing:
| Section | Time | Questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 64 minutes (two 32-minute modules) | 54 | Information and Ideas, Craft and Structure, Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions |
| Math | 70 minutes (two 35-minute modules) | 44 | Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, Geometry and Trigonometry |
| Total | 2 hours 14 minutes, plus a 10-minute break | 98 | Scored 400 to 1600 |
Content areas come from College Board's Reading and Writing page and Math page.
- Reading and Writing: short passages of 25 to 150 words, each with one multiple-choice question. Passages come from literature, history and social studies, the humanities and science.
- Math: most questions are multiple choice, but "some of the math questions ask you to enter the answer rather than select it."
- Calculator: you can bring an approved calculator or use "the Desmos calculator embedded in Bluebook," per College Board's calculator policy. Learn it on our Desmos for the SAT page.
For a count of each question type, read how many questions are on the Digital SAT by type.
How does the Digital SAT work?
The SAT is adaptive. The first module of each section has a mix of easy, medium and hard questions. Based on how you do, "the second module of questions will either be more difficult or less difficult," per College Board.
You take the test in the Bluebook app. College Board's SAT page says Bluebook "supports testing on Mac and Windows devices, iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks." If you do not have a device, College Board lends them. Students who borrow one must register and request it "at least 30 days before test day," per its dates page.
How is the SAT scored?
See which question types are costing you points
Start with a free mock, free drills, or preview sample questions before using all 45 question banks.
College Board scores each section from 200 to 800, and your total is the sum, from 400 to 1600. College Board uses the questions you got right and how hard they were. It does not grade on a curve. The full details are in our guides on what the SAT is out of and whether the SAT is curved.
The class of 2026 averaged 1045, per College Board's 2026 annual report. Our guide to the average SAT score breaks that down by section, state and college.
Who takes the SAT?
High school students, most often in 11th or 12th grade, the grades College Board names on its What Is a Good Score? page. The 2026 annual report counts 1,954,833 students in the class of 2026 who took the SAT.
| How students in the class of 2026 took the SAT | Students |
|---|---|
| Took the SAT (total) | 1,954,833 |
| At least once on a School Day, in their own school | 1,262,698 (65%) |
| Only on a weekend test date | 692,135 (35%) |
SAT School Day lets schools, districts and states give the SAT to juniors and seniors during the school day, "often at no cost to students," per College Board's press release. The same release says international SAT participation rose 13.5%.
How much does the SAT cost?
The SAT registration fee is $68 in the US, per College Board's test fees page. Some students qualify for a fee waiver. Other fees on that page:
- Late registration: $38
- Changing your test center: $34
- Score reports: your first 4 are free if you order them "by 9 days after the test date." Extra reports cost $15 each.
When can you take the SAT?
College Board offers the SAT on several weekend dates each school year. Its dates and deadlines page lists these remaining 2026-27 dates:
| Test date | Registration deadline |
|---|---|
| November 7, 2026 | October 23, 2026 |
| December 5, 2026 | November 20, 2026 |
| March 6, 2027 | February 19, 2027 |
| May 1, 2027 | April 16, 2027 |
| June 5, 2027 | May 21, 2027 |
See every deadline on our SAT test dates page, or read the last day to register for the SAT.
Can you choose which SAT scores colleges see?
Yes, by test date. College Board's score sending page says "if you've taken the SAT more than once, you may choose to send only your best score." Some colleges ask for all scores, and you cannot mix sections from different dates when you send. Some colleges also superscore. Our guide to the SAT superscore explains how that works.
How do you prepare for the SAT?
Start with a real practice test, then practice by skill.
- Try practice questions. Open any test in our practice test catalog and try five sample questions with no account.
- Get a starting score. Create a free account and take one full-length adaptive SAT test free, with a score range.
- Practice by month and skill. Our SAT Question Bank groups Digital SAT questions by test date. The June 2026 Reading and Writing Question Bank is free with an account.
- Follow a method. Read how to ace the SAT for a 7-step plan, and clear up common SAT myths first.
How we built this page: The definition comes from College Board's SAT Myths vs Facts page, and the history from its SAT Suite technical manual (2017) and September 29, 2026 press release. Format, timing, content areas, calculator rules, devices and adaptive design come from College Board's structure, Reading and Writing, Math, calculator policy and SAT pages. Fees come from its test fees page, dates from its dates and deadlines page, and score sending from its weekend score sending page. Class of 2026 figures come from the 2026 Total Group SAT Suite Annual Report. All fetched October 13, 2026. Verified 2026-10-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SAT?
The SAT is a college admissions test made by College Board. It tests the reading, writing and math skills you learn in high school. It is a digital test taken in the Bluebook app, lasts 2 hours and 14 minutes, and is scored 400 to 1600.
What does SAT stand for?
The letters once stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test. College Board's technical manual says 8,040 students took what was then called the Scholastic Aptitude Test in 1926. Today College Board calls it the SAT.
How long is the SAT?
The SAT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes: 64 minutes for Reading and Writing (54 questions) and 70 minutes for Math (44 questions), with a 10-minute break between the sections.
How much does the SAT cost?
The SAT registration fee is 68 dollars in the US, per College Board. Some students qualify for a fee waiver. Late registration adds 38 dollars, and your first 4 score reports are free if you order them within 9 days of the test.
Who takes the SAT?
High school students, most often in 11th or 12th grade. College Board counts 1,954,833 students in the class of 2026 who took the SAT, and 65% of them tested at least once on a School Day in their own school.
Is the SAT on paper or digital?
Digital. You take the SAT in College Board's Bluebook app, which supports Mac and Windows devices, iPads and school-managed Chromebooks. College Board lends devices to students who need one.
Related Concepts
Sources and Citation Targets
- College Board: SAT Myths vs Facts
- College Board: SAT Suite Technical Manual (2017)
- College Board newsroom: As the SAT Turns 100 (2026)
- College Board: How the SAT is structured
- College Board: SAT test fees
- College Board: SAT dates and deadlines
- College Board: Sending scores from SAT Weekend
- College Board: 2026 SAT Suite Annual Report