By Miles Kelly | November 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
It’s good to know that The College Board has introduced a new digital format for the PSAT and that the SAT will also be going fully digital this coming spring.
Most students we have spoken with who took the PSAT felt good about the new format with its shorter running time and reading passages.
However, students need to have a better understanding of the specific breakdown of the test sections to prepare adequately for the upcoming SAT exam.
The newly combined Reading and Writing Section is now divided into five pods of different question types:
The Vocabulary in Context Section of the SAT
SAT Vocabulary consists of four to seven questions, where students had to fill in the blank with a vocabulary word. This type of question was a mainstay of the SAT before being removed in 2016.
These SAT questions can be challenging for even high-scoring students because SAT use difficult words that are unfamiliar to the vast majority of test-takers.
Reading Comprehension Section on the SAT
The Reading Comprehension section of the SAT test will have five to seven questions asking students to identify the main idea, primary purpose, or specific details in brief reading passages.
The passages will include prose fiction, non-fiction, paired passages, and, for the first time, poetry.
The SAT Science Reading Passages
Science Based Reading Comprehension consists of three to five questions based on technical and scientific writing.
The questions will often use charts and other non-verbal forms of information in addition to passages. This pod acts as a very brief version of the ACT Science.
The Writing and Language/Grammar Section
Writing and Language/Grammar consists of eleven to thirteen questions based on the standard conventions of written English.
Common error types include punctuation, subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, linking words, pronoun agreement, and misplaced modifiers.
Rhetorical Synthesis in SAT
Rhetorical Synthesis/Bullet Points are brief, summarized notes about a topic that the student must combine into a cohesive idea.
This question type is a new addition to the test, but not particularly difficult.
It is crucial to have a well-planned and clear strategy for the SAT test in order to feel confident during the examination.
During test prep, our team ensures that students practice both the theoretical concepts that the test will cover, as well as the exact format and nature of the SAT questions that will appear. This test preparation approach helps our students be effective in navigating the SAT.
