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FREE SAT Writing Practice Tests

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Our free SAT Writing Practice Tests are each a selection of 10 to 12 questions, which will give you a cross-section of topics from the Writing section of the official SAT. You might think of them as little quizzes, which you can use to hone your skills. To get a more comprehensive idea of the concepts you need to review, try one of the Full-Length SAT Writing Practice Tests. These tests simulate the writing portion of the SAT, which gives you valuable text experience and can help you learn to pace yourself so you can be sure you’ll have enough time to finish the real test. The results pages for the longer-form tests offer tons of useful feedback, including detailed explanations of the answers and links to additional concept-specific practice opportunities. The results of the complete practice tests can also help you streamline your SAT study plan by revealing the topics on which you need to focus. Once you’ve had the chance to do some review, you can gauge your progress by taking another Full-Length SAT Writing Practice Test.  Whether you need top SAT Writing tutors in New York , SAT Writing tutors in Chicago , or top SAT Writing tutors in Los Angeles , working with a pro may take your studies to the next level. SAT Writing Section What is the Writing Section of the SAT exam? The SAT Writing Section tests your ability to understand and effectively respond to writing prompts and to demonstrate your knowledge of various grammatical and semantic rules, as well as conventions about how to construct the clearest sentences and paragraphs. On the exam, you will be expected both to identify present errors and suggest preferable alternative sentence and paragraph constructions to display your knowledge of the aforementioned rule types. Varsity Tutors offers resources like a  free SAT prep book  to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an  SAT Writing tutor . What kinds of multiple-choice questions appear on the SAT Writing section? In addition to the separate Essay portion of the SAT Writing section, three different question types appear on the SAT Writing section: Identifying Sentence Errors, Improving Sentences, and Improving Paragraphs. These do not appear in equal ratios, however: of the 49 questions, 25 will be Identifying Sentence Errors, 18 will be Improving Sentences, and 6 will be Improving Paragraphs. Identifying Sentence Error questions consist of a sentence with four sections of its text underlined, as well as a “No Error” option. One of the four underlined portions of the sentence may contain a grammatical or usage error; it is your job to determine whether or not the sentence contains an error, and if it does, to select the answer choice that corresponds to the section of text that contains that error. There is never more than one error in a Identifying Sentence Error sentence, and you are not tested about how to fix the grammatical error that you identify—your job is to simply point out the part of the sentence that contains the error. Improving Sentence questions present you with a sentence which is either completely or partially underlined. This sentence may or may not contain a grammatical or usage error. Of the five possible answer choices, the first one reproduces the underlined portion of the sentence exactly, while the other options each make one change to that section. It is your job to select the option that makes the sentence clear and grammatically correct. If a sentence contains no errors, you should select the option that reproduces the underlined section of the sentence exactly. Some Improving Sentence questions may reference a passage, but will direct you to at most one or two sentences for you to consider. Improving Paragraph questions test your knowledge of how to best formulate paragraphs by providing you with a passage that has its sentences numbered and then asking you about proposed changes to that paragraph. Sentence order, sentence design, and proper sentence and paragraph transitions are all fair game in this portion of the Writing Section. Questions and their answers often refer to sentence numbers so that they do not have to quote entire sentences each time they refer to them. Certain Improving Paragraph questions may give you the option of leaving an indicated sentence or a certain part of the paragraph as it is written, but not all questions give you this option. Which specific grammar concepts are covered on the SAT Writing Section? Subject-verb agreement, proper tense usage, gerunds and infinitives, parallel sentence structure, subject-pronoun agreement, the use of appropriate prepositions, similar object comparisons, active vs. passive voice, and proper use of conjunctions are among the grammatical rules you should be familiar with in preparation for the exam. The Varsity Tutors Learning Tools free SAT Practice Tests contains questions that test each of these concepts. How much is the SAT Writing Section worth on the SAT? In total, the SAT Writing Section is worth 800 points, just like the other two sections: SAT Critical Reading and SAT Math. But this section is different in that it is not composed solely of multiple-choice questions, although these do constitute a majority of the section. Additionally, there is an essay, which is always the first section on any given SAT. The essay composes 30% of the overall total SAT Writing Section score, while the multiple-choice problems make up the remaining 70%. How is the SAT Writing Section graded? For the Essay Section, two separate graders each read the essay and submit a score on a scale from 1 to 6, where 6 is the highest score an essay can receive, and 1 the lowest. Generally, these graders are grading each essay on how well it asserts and defends a particular position in response to the question asked, while providing specific and detailed examples to illustrate and support its argument; however, other factors are also taken into consideration when determining an essay’s score; these include use of proper grammar and correct spelling, as well as effective construction of a variety of sentence types. The Writing Section’s multiple-choice questions are graded like the SAT’s other multiple-choice-based sections. Correct answers are tallied, and then incorrect answers are multiplied by ¼ and subtracted from the total. Answers left blank do not count against the overall score. These portion totals are then added together to make up the overall raw SAT Writing score, which is then combined with the Essay score and reported in terms of a 200-800 scale. How many questions are on the SAT Writing Section? How much time do I have for each part of the SAT Writing Section? In total, each SAT Writing section contains 49 multiple-choice questions and an essay prompt. You are given 35 minutes to complete the multiple-choice questions, which appear in two sections, one 25 minutes long, the other 10 minutes long. You are given 25 minutes to compose an essay in response to the essay prompt. So, in total, the entire SAT Writing section takes 60 minutes to complete. There is a caveat, however, that may lead to you having to complete two writing sections on your SAT. For testing purposes, the College Board includes an additional ungraded experimental section on each one of its officially administered tests to gather data about the quality of new problems. This additional section is 25 minutes long, and tests Critical Reading, Writing, or Math. While you will notice that you complete two versions of a certain section, there is no way to tell which section is the “real” one that determines your score in that area, and which is the experimental section that does not affect your score. So, the best course of action is to treat every section as if it is affecting your score. Do I get a break during the SAT Writing section? While students are given breaks between certain sections of the SAT, they are not given breaks during any sections, and it is not recommended that you stop to rest during a section. The SAT is designed to be completed in a certain amount of time, without much extra time, and you don’t want to run the risk of not completing the section (and hence losing points) just because you stopped to take a break. How much time should I spend on each multiple-choice question on the SAT Writing Section? Given that there are 49 multiple-choice question in two separate sections (one 25 mins, the other 10 mins) on the SAT Writing section, you could easily do the math to find that you have less than a minute per question. This should be your rough guide for how to spend your time. In some cases, you will spend less time on a question, and in others, more time, but in general, you should be mindful of this limit. Last, any one-size-fits-all time-allocation recommendations will not work in all situations, but they do provide a basic guideline for effectively using the limited time you have available. Should I guess on the SAT Writing Section? Guessing on the SAT Writing Section’s multiple-choice questions is advisable or inadvisable for the same reasons it would be for any other multiple-choice question on the exam. Incorrect multiple-choice answers receive a penalty of ¼ of a point which, in sum, can add up. In contrast, blank answers do not count towards your overall score, so they do not count against you at all whatsoever. A good rule of thumb is to use your knowledge of grammar, proper sentence and paragraph construction, and other semantic rules to eliminate three of the five answer responses. If you can confidently do this, then you might want to guess between the remaining answers. Studying for the SAT Writing Section: Essay Should I read the whole quotation and question before writing my the SAT Writing essay? Always read the entire essay prompt on the SAT before responding to it! Reading the entire question is always essential for formulating and asserting an effective position on some issue. Often, the questions are more complicated than they initially seem, and you want to make sure not to read your own questions into them (and then spend 25 minutes answering a question not asked). Rereading the question two or three times is a good idea that helps you be sure that you didn’t misread or misunderstand it. Often, however, students spend too much time reading and rereading the quotation to mine it for ideas about what to write. Know that this essay is not about explicating the quotation included; the authors of the test include the quotation, instead, to give you food for thought. You should be using your own experiences, knowledge and ideas to fashion your essay, not just the content of the quotation. How should I study for the SAT Writing section's essay writing portion? While it may seem difficult to study for an essay-based section, you can effectively prepare for the SAT Essay section by doing the following five things: 1.) Read up on the SAT Essay and learn about what makes it unique when compared to other standardized tests’ essay sections. 2.) Read over a few SAT Essay prompts and try out one or two by taking them in 25 minutes, just like the real exam section. Having a qualified, competent friend, teacher, or tutor read over this essay and provide you with feedback will help you figure out what you need to work on in particular. 3.) After you have a better sense of what you need to work on, you should then brainstorm examples you might draw on from your life. You might draw examples from books you have read, recent news stories you have seen, friends’ experiences that you have heard about, or other events you know about. Sometimes you can even draw examples from popular media like movies and music. Take a sample SAT Essay prompt and brainstorm ideas that you might use to respond to it or a similar question. 4.) Focus on honing your ability to write a strong, coherent, and relevant thesis statement. You can improve this skill by reading SAT Essay Prompts and quickly formulating a position that you could support in an essay, one that you could develop and pursue for at least two to three body paragraphs. Using too simplistic of a thesis statement and realizing that you have run out of material to discuss halfway through the SAT Essay on test day is a terrible position to be in. Reviewing the basic format of an SAT Essay might be helpful too, but if you have already been recently writing timed essays, this step may be superfluous. 5.) Complete at least two to three more full essays and focus on what kinds of examples you might need to develop an inventory of. Having a solid example tool box will be endlessly useful to you on test day, as you can use many different examples for different kinds of essays, and will not have to spend as much time trying to hurriedly come up with examples. How should I use my time when writing the essay on the SAT Writing section? You shouldn’t tackle any SAT question without thinking about how you are approaching it, and the same can be said for the SAT Essay. For this section, it’s crucial that you be aware of how you are using your time, and make efficient use of it. Like other timed writing assignments, the SAT Essay portion of the Writing Section requires you to quickly understand the question being asked of you, take a position, formulate your examples, outline, draft, and revise. You are given only twenty-five minutes in which to write your essay, so consider organizing your time like this: Reading Question and Formulating a Position: 2-3 minutes Brainstorming Reasons, Commentary and Paragraph Structure: 4 minutes Drafting the Essay - 15-17 minutes Revising and Editing - 2 minutes Keep in mind that eyeing your watch every two seconds to ensure that you’re on track will not be of help to you, and will, in fact, hurt your progress on the essay. But having a general sense of how you should be progressing will prevent you from leaving the essay section with little more than a well-developed outline. Can I use a prewritten essay on the SAT Writing section? No, you cannot use a prewritten essay on the SAT; however, arriving with a fresh example bank ready and waiting in your short-term memory is just as good. Also, if you’ve been practicing responding to SAT prompts, then it should be a piece of cake to tackle a new one, because you can tackle each prompt in the same way: by reading the prompt, taking a position, briefly outlining that position with examples, drafting your essay from your outline, and finally, revising and editing your essay. How is the SAT Writing section's essay section graded? The essay composes 30% of the overall total SAT Writing Section score, while the remaining multiple choice sections make up the remaining 70%. Each essay is given a score between 1 and 6 by two independent graders. Each SAT essay is graded on how effectively it asserts a position in a thesis statement in response to the question asked, and how well it supports that thesis statement with details and examples. Other aspects of the essay including spelling, grammar, and sentence variety are also taken into consideration when determining an essay’s grade. In addition to the SAT Writing practice tests and  SAT Writing tutoring , you may also want to consider taking some of our  SAT Writing flash cards . Studying for the SAT Writing Section: Multiple-Choice Questions How should I study for the Improving Sentences, Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Paragraphs portions of the SAT Writing Section? Use the following tips to study effectively for the SAT Writing section’s multiple-choice questions: 1.) Refamiliarize yourself with English grammar, style, and usage conventions, as all of the SAT Writing section’s multiple-choice questions test your understanding of grammar, style, and usage rules in some way. Focusing on the rules and conventions that you don’t completely understand or that underlie problems you often miss is the most efficient way to raise your SAT Writing score. However, thinking about the grammar rules should only be part of the study process. 2.) Start practicing each type of question that appears on the SAT Writing section. Don’t rush through these, though! When you miss a question, figure out where you went wrong, or what point you misunderstood. If you don’t spend enough time analyzing the questions you miss, your studying will not be as effective. Varsity Tutors offers free SAT Writing Practice Tests for you to use in preparing for the SAT's Writing section. Our free SAT Writing Practice Tests are written by teachers, professors, content specialists, and tutors. Explanations are given for each question, so if you miss a question, you can find out where you went wrong. Varsity Tutors also offers free SAT Writing Diagnostic Tests, free SAT Writing Flashcards, and free SAT Writing Questions of the Day, as well as other free SAT Writing resources. 3.) Eventually, take a complete 25-minute SAT Writing Section and then check your overall score. Identify which kinds of questions you tend to get wrong and focus on improving your performance in those particular areas (i.e. those particular grammar rules or question types). This is the best way to improve your score. See if you can confidently explain not only why the correct answer is correct in any given problem, but also why incorrect answers are incorrect. 4.) Make sure to take at least two or three full practice tests before taking the actual exam. This way you can develop a tolerance for the somewhat exhausting task of completing the whole test in one sitting. e essay section with little more than a well-developed outline. Can I use a prewritten essay on the SAT Writing section? No, you cannot use a prewritten essay on the SAT; however, arriving with a fresh example bank ready and waiting in your short-term memory is just as good. Also, if you’ve been practicing responding to SAT prompts, then it should be a piece of cake to tackle a new one, because you can tackle each prompt in the same way: by reading the prompt, taking a position, briefly outlining that position with examples, drafting your essay from your outline, and finally, revising and editing your essay. How is the SAT Writing section's essay section graded? The essay composes 30% of the overall total SAT Writing Section score, while the remaining multiple choice sections make up the remaining 70%. Each essay is given a score between 1 and 6 by two independent graders. Each SAT essay is graded on how effectively it asserts a position in a thesis statement in response to the question asked, and how well it supports that thesis statement with details and examples. Other aspects of the essay including spelling, grammar, and sentence variety are also taken into consideration when determining an essay’s grade. Studying for the SAT Writing Section: Multiple-Choice Questions How should I study for the Improving Sentences, Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Paragraphs portions of the SAT Writing Section? Use the following tips to study effectively for the SAT Writing section’s multiple-choice questions: 1.) Refamiliarize yourself with English grammar, style, and usage conventions, as all of the SAT Writing section’s multiple-choice questions test your understanding of grammar, style, and usage rules in some way. Focusing on the rules and conventions that you don’t completely understand or that underlie problems you often miss is the most efficient way to raise your SAT Writing score. However, thinking about the grammar rules should only be part of the study process. 2.) Start practicing each type of question that appears on the SAT Writing section. Don’t rush through these, though! When you miss a question, figure out where you went wrong, or what point you misunderstood. If you don’t spend enough time analyzing the questions you miss, your studying will not be as effective. Varsity Tutors offers free SAT Writing Practice Tests for you to use in preparing for the SAT's Writing section. Our free SAT Writing Practice Tests are written by teachers, professors, content specialists, and tutors. Explanations are given for each question, so if you miss a question, you can find out where you went wrong. Varsity Tutors also offers free SAT Writing Diagnostic Tests, free SAT Writing Flashcards, and free SAT Writing Questions of the Day, as well as other free SAT Writing resources. 3.) Eventually, take a complete 25-minute SAT Writing Section and then check your overall score. Identify which kinds of questions you tend to get wrong and focus on improving your performance in those particular areas (i.e. those particular grammar rules or question types). This is the best way to improve your score. See if you can confidently explain not only why the correct answer is correct in any given problem, but also why incorrect answers are incorrect. 4.) Make sure to take at least two or three full practice tests before taking the actual exam. This way you can develop a tolerance for the somewhat exhausting task of completing the whole test in one sitting.

Free SAT Writing Practice Tests

Practice tests by concept, identifying sentence errors practice test, identifying agreement errors practice test, identifying modifier-word modified agreement errors practice test, identifying noun-noun agreement errors practice test, identifying pronoun-antecedent agreement errors practice test, identifying subject-verb agreement errors practice test, identifying no errors or other errors practice test, identifying other errors practice test, identifying sentences that contain no errors practice test, identifying phrase, clause, and sentence errors practice test, identifying conjunction errors practice test, identifying correlative conjunction errors practice test, identifying other conjunction errors practice test, identifying subordinate conjunction errors practice test, identifying modifier placement errors practice test, identifying ambiguous modifier errors practice test, identifying dangling modifier errors practice test, identifying misplaced or interrupting modifier errors practice test, identifying other phrase, clause, and sentence errors practice test, identifying ambiguity and redundancy errors practice test, identifying parallel structure errors practice test, identifying sentence fragment and sentence combination errors practice test, identifying punctuation errors practice test, identifying punctuation errors: commas practice test, identifying punctuation errors: comma splices practice test, identifying punctuation errors: commas for dependent clauses practice test, identifying punctuation errors: commas for introductory or interrupting phrases practice test, identifying punctuation errors: commas in lists practice test, identifying punctuation errors: other punctuation practice test, identifying apostrophe errors practice test, identifying colon errors practice test, identifying other punctuation errors practice test, identifying quotation mark errors practice test, identifying semicolon errors practice test, identifying word usage errors practice test, identifying adjective and adverb errors practice test, identifying comparative and superlative errors practice test, identifying other adjective and adverb errors practice test, identifying other usage errors practice test, identifying conventional and idiomatic usage errors practice test, identifying errors involving commonly confused words practice test, identifying preposition errors practice test, identifying pronoun errors practice test, identifying pronoun errors: ambiguity practice test, identifying pronoun errors: case practice test, identifying pronoun errors: inconsistent usage practice test, identifying pronoun errors: incorrect usage practice test, identifying verb errors practice test, identifying other verb errors practice test, identifying verb mood errors practice test, identifying verb tense errors practice test, identifying verb voice errors practice test, improving paragraphs practice test, analyzing, combining, and moving content practice test, analyzing content practice test, identifying sentence purpose practice test, identifying sentence relationships practice test, other content analyses practice test, separating, combining, or moving sentences practice test, combining sentences practice test, moving sentences practice test, separating sentences practice test, improving and correcting sentences practice test, rewriting a full sentence practice test, avoiding ambiguity and redundancy in a full sentence practice test, sentence improvements and errors practice test, increasing the effectiveness of a full sentence practice test, rewriting a sentence fragment practice test, avoiding ambiguity and redundancy in a sentence fragment practice test, correcting grammatical errors in a sentence fragment practice test, increasing contextual relevance in a sentence fragment practice test, increasing the effectiveness of a sentence fragment practice test, revising introductions and transitions in a sentence fragment practice test, revising word choice, style, and tone in a sentence fragment practice test, rewriting a single word practice test, correcting single-word grammatical errors practice test, increasing the contextual relevance of a single word practice test, increasing the effectiveness of a single word practice test, revising a single word of introductions and transitions practice test, revising a single word to avoid ambiguity and redundancy practice test, revising word choice, style, and tone practice test, inserting or deleting content practice test, deleting content practice test, inserting content practice test, improving sentences practice test, correcting agreement errors practice test, correcting modifier-word modified agreement errors practice test, correcting noun-noun agreement errors practice test, correcting pronoun-antecedent agreement errors practice test, correcting subject-verb agreement errors practice test, correcting other errors and recognizing no errors practice test, correcting other errors practice test, recognizing sentences that contain no errors practice test, correcting phrase, clause, and sentence errors practice test, correcting conjunction errors practice test, correcting correlative conjunction errors practice test, correcting other conjunction errors practice test, correcting subordinate conjunction errors practice test, correcting modifier placement errors practice test, correcting ambiguous modifier errors practice test, correcting dangling modifier errors practice test, correcting misplaced or interrupting modifier errors practice test, correcting other phrase, clause, and sentence errors practice test, correcting ambiguity and redundancy errors practice test, correcting parallel structure errors practice test, correcting sentence fragment and sentence combination errors practice test, correcting punctuation errors practice test, correcting punctuation errors: commas practice test, correcting punctuation errors: comma splices practice test, correcting punctuation errors: commas for dependent clauses practice test, correcting punctuation errors: commas for introductory or interrupting phrases practice test, correcting punctuation errors: commas in lists practice test, correcting punctuation errors: other commas practice test, correcting punctuation errors: other punctuation practice test, correcting apostrophe errors practice test, correcting colon errors practice test, correcting other punctuation errors practice test, correcting quotation mark errors practice test, correcting semicolon errors practice test, correcting word usage errors practice test, correcting adjective and adverb errors practice test, correcting comparative and superlative errors practice test, correcting other adjective and adverb errors practice test, correcting other usage errors practice test, correcting conventional and idiomatic usage errors practice test, correcting preposition errors practice test, correcting pronoun errors practice test, correcting pronoun errors: ambiguity practice test, correcting pronoun errors: case practice test, correcting pronoun errors: inconsistent usage practice test, correcting pronoun errors: incorrect usage practice test, correcting verb errors practice test, correcting other verb errors practice test, correcting verb mood errors practice test, correcting verb tense errors practice test, correcting verb voice errors practice test.

SAT Writing and Language: Practice tests and explanations

The SAT writing and language test consists of 44 multiple-choice questions that you'll have 35 minutes to complete. The questions are designed to test your knowledge of grammatical and stylistic topics.

The SAT Writing and Language questions ask about a variety of grammatical and stylistic topics. If you like to read and/or write, the SAT may frustrate you a bit because it may seem to boil writing down to a couple of dull rules.

• 30 SAT Grammar Practice Tests

SAT Writing and Language Practice Tests

• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 1
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 2
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 3
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 4
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 5
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 6
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 7
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 8
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 9
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 10
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 11
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 12
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 13
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 14
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 15
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 16
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 17
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 18
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 19
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: A Sweet Discovery
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: René Descartes: The Father of Modern Philosophy
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Novel: Introspection to Escapism
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Interning: A Bridge Between Classes and Careers
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: In Defense of Don Quixote
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Women's Ingenuity
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Working from Home: Too Good to Be True?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Is Gluten-Free the Way to Be?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Antarctic Treaty System in Need of Reform
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Finding Pluto
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Public Relations: Build Your Brand While Building for Others
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Film, Culture, and Globalization
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Vitamin C—Essential Nutrient or Wonder Drug?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Familiar Myth
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: America's Love for Streetcars
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Educating Early
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Age of the Librarian
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Unforeseen Consequences: The Dark Side of the Industrial Revolution
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Remembering Freud
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Success in Montreal
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Sorting Recyclables for Best Re-Use
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Interpreter at America's Immigrant Gateway
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Software Sales: A Gratifying Career
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Art of Collecting
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The UN: Promoting World Peace
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: DNA Analysis in a Day
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Will You Succeed with Your Start-Up?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Edgard Varèse's Influence
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: From Here to the Stars
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The UK and the Euro
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Coffee: The Buzz on Beans
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Predicting Nature's Light Show
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 20
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 21
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 22
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 23
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 24
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 25
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 26
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 27
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 28
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 29
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 30
• New SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 31
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Physician Assistants
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Maria Montessori
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Platonic Forms
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Eureka Effect
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Carrot or the Stick?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Promise of Bio-Informatics
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: What is Art?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Little Tramp
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Who Really Owns American Media?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Dangers of Superstition
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Skepticism and the Scientific Method
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Magic of Bohemia
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Careers in Engineeringd
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: An American Duty
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: Idol Worship in Sports
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test: The Secret Life of Photons
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 32: The Romani People
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 33: Into the Abyss
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 34: The Doctor Is In
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 35: Maslow's Hierarchy and Violence
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 36: Folklore
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 37: Age of the Drone
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 38: Policing Our Planet
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 39: The Bullroarer
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 40: Astrochemistry
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 41: Blood Ties
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 42: Out with the Old and the New
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 43: Extra, Extra
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 44: Parthenon
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 45: Where Have all the Cavemen Gone?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 46: Chiroptera
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 47: The Tyrannical and the Taciturn
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 48
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 49
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 50: The Giants of Theater
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 51: Gravity, It's Everywhere
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 52: Do the Numbers Lie?
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 53: Draw Your Home
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 54: The Online Job Hunt
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 55: The Glass Menagerie
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 56: For Richer or For Poorer
• SAT Writing and Language Practice Test 57: Hypocrisy of Hippocratic Humorism

New SAT SAT Writing & Language Practice Tests Pdf Download

• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 1
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 2
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 3
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 1 Answer Explanations
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 2 Answer Explanations
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 3 Answer Explanations
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 4 pdf download
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 5 pdf download
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 6 pdf download
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 7 pdf download
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 8 pdf download
• New SAT Writing & Language Practice Test 9 pdf download

More Information

• HOW TO ACE THE SAT WRITING AND LANGUAGE TEST: A STRATEGY
• Introduction to SAT Writing and Language Strategy
• The SAT Writing and Language Test-Words
• The SAT Writing and Language Test-Words and Punctuation in Reverse
• The SAT Writing and Language Test-Punctuation
• The SAT Writing and Language Test-Precision Questions
• The SAT Writing and Language Test-Consistency Questions

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Writing and Language

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Home > College Admissions > SAT > SAT Practice Test

SAT Practice Test

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Congrats on taking our SAT Sample Quiz. Take one of our full-length SAT practice tests or one of our study sets. Everything is 100% free!

1 . Question

What percentage does 90 represent in relation to 360?

2 . Question

7 added to 4 times a quantity y is equal to 62. Which equation represents this condition?

• a. 7(4y) = 62
• b. 7 – 4y = 62
• c. 7 + 4y = 62
• d. 4y – 7 = 62

3 . Question

For a cost of $57, how many pounds of avocados were bought at a rate of $19 per pound?

4 . Question

The table displays three sets of values for x and their corresponding f(x) values for a linear function f. What equation accurately represents the definition of f(x)?

• a. f(x) = 6x + 65
• b. f(x) = 8x + 65
• c. f(x) = 65x + 73
• d. f(x) = 73x + 81

5 . Question

If \frac{x}{15}=20 , what is the value of \frac{15}{x} ?

6 . Question

What is the equation that defines line p in the xy-plane, given that it passes through the point (-4, 6) and has a slope of 6?

• a. y = 6x + 30
• b. y = 6x – 30
• c. y = 6 + 30x
• d. y = 6x – 30x

7 . Question

2.5b + 5r = 80

The provided equation expresses the connection between the quantity of biscuits (b) and raisins (r) that a reviewer business can handle in a single day. If the business is tending to 16 raisins on a specific day, what is the capacity for biscuits that it can manage on the same day?

8 . Question

In a specific rectangular area, the length-to-width ratio is 45 : 15. If the width of the region grows by 8 units, how should the length be adjusted to uphold this ratio?

• a. It must decrease by 24.5 units.
• b. It must increase by 24.5 units.
• c. It must decrease by 24 units.
• d. It must increase by 24 units.

9 . Question

In a circle with center O, the arc XY measures 105°. What is the degree measure of the angle XOY that corresponds to this arc?

10 . Question

In a right triangle, the side lengths are 3\sqrt3 , 2\sqrt3 ,and \sqrt{70} units. What is the area of the triangle in square units?

*Enter in just the number for your answer.

All SAT Practice Tests

If you want some more in-depth prep, use a free SAT practice test listed below.

• Practice Exams = Timed and Full-Length
• Practice Sets = Not Timed and Smaller Sets of Questions

SAT Practice Exam #1

SAT Practice Exam #2

SAT Practice Exam #3

SAT Practice Exam #4

SAT Math Practice Sets

SAT Reading & Writing Practice Sets

If you want some additional help with prepping for the SAT, consider using  SAT prep courses .

Official SAT PDF Practice Exams

If you want to study using PDFs, use the links below. These are full-length practice exams provided by the CollegeBoard.

Overview of the SAT

The SAT is an entrance exam used by colleges and universities to help make decisions about admissions.

The SAT is administered by the CollegeBoard and is given 7 times per year. The exam is a timed, mainly multiple-choice exam, taken by students in high school.

Beginning in the spring of 2024, the SAT will be going fully digital. The digital SAT (DSAT) will have some formatting and content changes to it, along with some other changes. You can review those changes below.

New SAT (Digital SAT)

This exam will be given to students starting in spring of 2024.

Old SAT (Written Exam)

This exam will be given to students up until spring of 2024.

The biggest difference between the old SAT and the digital SAT is that the digital SAT is taken completely online and has combined some sections to streamline the exam.

Scoring of the SAT

You will receive a score for math and a score for reading/writing. Each of those scores will be between 200 and 800 .

Your total score will be the sum of those two scores. You can receive a total score between 400 and 1600 on the SAT.

The average SAT score is 1060. Learn more about good SAT scores .

Registering for the SAT and Test Dates

You can register for the SAT online via the CollegeBoard site .

You will need to do the following when registering for the SAT:

• Have a Valid Photo ID
• Upload a Photo of Yourself When Registering Online
• Pay Registration Fees
• Print Your Admission Ticket

It will cost your $60 to take the SAT. There may be some additional fees like canceling, changing test center, etc..

The SAT is typically given 7 times per year. The exam is given on Saturdays. You can expect the exam to be given in these months:

• Early March
• Late August
• Early October
• Early November
• Early December

You can find exact dates on the official website .

Steps for Using SAT Practice

When using our free SAT practice tests, we recommend the following steps to get the most out of your time:

• Take 1 practice exam from each subject.
• Determine which subject you struggled the most with.
• Focus on that 1 subject moving forward. Take additional practice exams in that subject, study important concepts, and invest in a SAT prep course if need be.
• Take a practice exam on that subject again and see where you stand. Continue to focus on that subject if you need more help or move on to another subject if you did well on this practice exam.
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 for other subjects.

Benefits of Using SAT Practice Questions

There are many benefits to using SAT questions during your prep process. Some of those benefits include:

Help With Timing

The SAT exam is a timed test. Keeping a steady pace is critical to achieving a high score.

You can improve your decision making and your time by taking practice exams.

Test Familiarity

All standardized tests, including the SAT, have their own unique way of presenting questions and answer choices.

You will gain more familiarity and comfort with the SAT question style as you take more practice quizzes. On the real exam day, there will be no surprises.

Efficient Studying

When you take many practice exams, you will get a sense of your test strengths and weaknesses.

Many students mistakenly spend time working on their strengths while ignoring their weaknesses.

Knowing which subjects you struggle with will help you focus your study time.

Work On Problem Solving

Tests like the SAT measure your ability to solve problems, not just memorize information. It is critical to have strong problem-solving abilities.

The answer explanations provided in our score reports can help you understand how to solve problems that you may be struggling with.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the sat going to the digital format.

The SAT will be switching to the digital format in the spring of 2024.

How many questions are on the SAT?

There are 154 questions on the old SAT (written version).

There are 98 questions on the new SAT (digital version).

How much time do you have to take the SAT?

You will have 3 hours and 15 minutes to take the old SAT (written version).

You will have 2 hours and 14 minutes to take the new SAT (digital version).

Can I use a calculator on the math section of the SAT?

There will be 1 math section in which you can use a calculator and 1 math section in which you cannot use a calculator on the old SAT (written version).

You will be permitted to use a calculator on all math modules on the new SAT (digital version).

What is a good way to practice for the SAT?

We recommend taking 1 practice exam for each subject. You can then determine which subject gave you the most trouble and focus your studies on that subject.

• Authored By: Adam Groden
• Last Updated: January 19, 2024

New SAT Writing

Evidenced based writing practice.

The SAT Writing Test is made up of four passages and 44 multiple choice questions. You will have 35 minutes to read the passages and answer the questions in this section. This means that you will have, on average, less than nine minutes to read each passage and answer the 10-12 questions that follow.  Learn more

CollegeBoard Writing Test Information

Khan Academy resources for Writing (Videos)

Key Changes: CollegeBoard's Command of Evidence (PDF)

Key Changes: CollegeBoard's Analysis in Science and in History/Social Studies (PDF)

SAT Reading  /  SAT Writing  /  SAT Math  /  SAT Essay

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Digital SAT Reading and Writing

Looking for sat math, unit 1: about the digital sat, unit 2: foundations: sat reading and writing, unit 3: medium: sat reading and writing, unit 4: advanced: sat reading and writing, unit 5: sat grammar practice.

How to Prepare for the SAT Writing Section

About the Writing Section

Every SAT administered by the College Board has four sections: Reading , Writing, Math (no calculator), and Math (with a calculator). The Writing section consists of 44 multiple choice questions that students must answer in 35 minutes.

Although the number of questions and time constraints of the Writing section may initially seem daunting, the curriculum that the SAT tests remains constant among every single SAT. In this Writing section guide, we’ll go over some general study strategies, the types of questions, and some major grammar rules.

Students looking to boost their Writing section scores will have to focus on a few key question types: command of evidence, words in context, specific subject area analysis, expression of ideas, and standard English conventions. Once these concepts are mastered, students will be able to apply them to any question the SAT Writing section throws their way.

Studying for the SAT while juggling a high school academic and extracurricular schedule can be difficult, but taking practice tests and understanding the format of the SAT language section doesn’t have to be overly hard. Scoring well on the SAT Writing section will help boost your total SAT score, which will also help you with college admissions!

Read on to learn all the best tips and tricks about the SAT Writing section, as well as some of the concepts it covers.

Why Does a Good SAT Writing Section Score Matter?

Not only does your Writing section score affect your larger SAT score, but it is also particularly important if you plan on applying to colleges as a humanities major.

If you are interested in pursuing the humanities after high school, demonstrating mastery of the language section is a very important part of your application. A high score on the Reading and Writing sections will show that you have a strong grasp on the English language, reading comprehension, and grammar skills.

For students who are more interested in studying STEM in college, focusing on the Math sections can be more important than focusing on the Reading test portion. However, balance is key: the better you can do on any section, the better. This being said, doing well on the Writing section is important for everyone, not just future humanities majors.

Best Strategies to Prepare for the SAT Writing Section

The best way to prepare for the SAT Writing section is targeted practice!

Answering practice problems and going back to review any that were difficult will help students understand their main points of weakness. From there, students should create a list of concepts they need help with. However, in order to do that, students need to understand how to categorize the types of questions they are getting incorrect. 

Students can better understand how to categorize their areas of weakness by considering what type of question they are missing in the Writing section , detailed later in this article. Conversely, students can also make their list of weak areas based on specific grammar rules they struggle with . This will allow them to closely examine the rule in question and master it before attempting a similar problem.

Certain prep books for the SAT contain distinct sections that will first explain certain concepts and then provide practice questions that specifically test one area. These can be particularly helpful for students looking to make the most out of their practice time.

Another helpful alternative is working with a tutor , as they will be able to identify categories of weakness while explaining the right answers. With a strong tutor, these tips and tricks will come from personal experience and SAT expertise. Both options will take some stress off determining where students are having the most trouble.

Close to the exam day, students should take a practice run of the Writing section and replicate real test-day conditions. This will allow them to gain an understanding of their pace and timing, as well as present an opportunity to look for any unexpected areas of difficulty that they might not have faced during regular practice sessions. Test day anxiety is another factor that affects many students, regardless of how much they studied — in order to assuage test day anxiety, taking a practice run in a silent environment can also help the exam feel more familiar on the actual test date.

Types of Questions in the Writing Section

1) command of evidence.

Command of Evidence questions will ask students to e xamine specific parts of the provided passages in order to make their meaning more clear. One common Command of Evidence question is when students are asked whether or not a new sentence should be introduced.

When considering whether or not to add the line in question, students must consider if the sentence adds relevant or new details, or if it distracts from the main point and provides unrelated information . Depending on the value-added to the paragraph, students must then decide whether or not to add it and back their decision up with a reason.

2) Words in Context

These questions test a student’s command over vocabulary. Students will need to decide whether to keep the word already embedded in the paragraph, or choose to change the word .

An extremely important aspect of answering Word in Context questions is to go back and read the sentence in question — context is everything! Since the same word can have so many different meanings depending on the context, reading the sentence in its entirety can be the difference between getting the question correct or incorrect. 

3) Specific Subject Area Analysis

The Writing section, like the Reading section, will include passages spanning a wide range of topics. Specifically, the Writing section will ask students to analyze passages about the history and social studies as well as science.

However, this shouldn’t be a deterrent to students who don’t feel as strong in those areas: absolutely no background knowledge is ever required on the SAT. Important historical details will be included throughout the passage, and all relevant information is available on the page.

Subject Area Analysis will ask students to read passages through a critical lens and make editorial decisions in order to improve their flow, diction, and/or clarity.

4) Expression of Ideas

Expression of Ideas asks students to think about the organization of a passage. Specifically, these questions may push students to consider word choice or paragraph structure in order to ensure the passage is making the clearest point it can. 

An example of these types of questions is when the SAT asks students to reorder sentences within a paragraph. When answering these types of questions, students should be sure to carefully and quickly read through the passage as a whole and determine what the main point or argument is. Once that is established, students can then think about what order of sentences would make the strongest argument.

5) Standard English Conventions

Questions that test Standard English Conventions will call upon the knowledge of basic grammar rules. However, just because they are testing the building blocks of writing doesn’t necessarily mean the questions will come easily. These questions will ask about punctuation, verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and parallel construction.

Staying alert while taking the SAT Writing section will help students make sure they’re not letting small errors slip past them. Since colloquial language oftentimes uses incorrect grammar, students may be used to seeing a phrase written in a way that is technically grammatically incorrect. Therefore, operating in a thoughtful and engaging manner when reading through questions and answer choices is extremely important, as sometimes errors will not automatically send alarm bells ringing.

Basic Grammar Rules and Concepts to Know

Many grammar rules will come naturally to native English speakers since they’re accustomed to hearing and reading English in everyday life. However, students need to make sure they are rock solid in a few basic English grammar rules in order to best prepare for the SAT Writing section.

1) Subject–Verb Agreement

Singular nouns need to be paired with singular verbs, and plural nouns require plural verbs. Don’t get confused by “singular verbs” and “plural verbs!” While we can tell when nouns are plural by determining whether or not they end in ‘s,’ plural verbs do not end in ‘s.’ For example, we wouldn’t say “The students runs.” We would say “The students run.”

Although the subject-verb agreement may seem obvious to many English speakers, the SAT Writing section often tests this concept using an unclear subject . When reading a long and complicated sentence, it becomes harder to tell what or who the true subject of a sentence is.

Example: It’s been days since the news outlets covered the Senate’s huge public relations crisis, but the Senator, along with other members of Congress, have yet to respond.

While at first glance, this sentence may seem correct, there is an unclear subject. The grammatically correct sentence would actually need to replace “have” with “has,” because the subject (the person who has not responded yet), is the Senator, not the other members of Congress. Since the members of Congress are mentioned right before the verb is introduced, students may believe that the subject of the sentence is those members of Congress. However, if students think carefully about who has yet to respond, they will notice that the actual subject of the sentence performing the action verb is the Senator. 

After reading through many paragraphs and sentences, it’s easy to miss small details. We recommend that when students come across a sentence testing verb tense, they identify the subject in the sentence — that means going back and rereading it! The answer might not be as obvious as it may seem.

Another hint: students should watch out for verb-subject agreement questions. The same rules apply, but these questions might be confusing because the sentence will place the verb before the subject. An example of a verb-subject sentence is: “Lounging across the window lies the house cat, purring and licking its paw.” In this case, the cat is the subject, and “lies” is the verb, but the order in which we are introduced to both words is flipped.

2) Collective Noun Plurality and “Or” Plurality

Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a group of things or people, but the word itself is singular. Therefore, when choosing a verb for a collective noun, students have to make sure to choose a singular verb!

Example: The group of chickens clucks. 

In this example, the group is the collective noun serving as the subject. Therefore, even though the sentence may not “sound correct,” it’s the grammatically correct way to compose the idea. Writing “the group of chickens cluck” would be incorrect because it would assume that the subject-verb agreement in question is “chickens cluck” instead of “the group clucks.” 

“Or” plurality refers to when there are two subjects related by the word “or.” When this occurs, the subject is actually singular, even though more than one subject may be mentioned. 

Example: “The chicken or the goose eats lunch” versus “The chicken and goose eat lunch.”

In the first sentence, the chicken and goose are related by “or,” meaning only one of them performs the action. Therefore, the sentence requires a singular verb, “eats.” On the other hand, the second sentence relates the chicken and goose with “and,” meaning the subject refers to multiple nouns and requires a plural verb, “eat.”

3) Parenthesis and Em–Dash

Em–dashes are one of the hardest punctuation concepts for students taking the SAT to master. However they behave very similarly to parentheses and therefore, students should consider their similarities if struggling to decide whether or not the sentence requires em–dashes.

Both parentheses and em–dashes are used to set off nonessential phrases and clauses from the rest of the sentence. A good way to test whether or not a phrase is “nonessential” is to remove it from the sentence and reread the altered version — it should still make sense! Parentheses are used to contain additional information that provides more context about a subject, while em–dashes can be used in order to emphasize a certain point. If the emphasized phrase occurs at the end of the sentence, only one em–dash is required.

Example: My friend Anna’s new puppy (a mini dachshund) loves to play outside.

Note that the information inside the parentheses is not essential to our understanding of the sentence!

Example: My other friend usually doesn’t like dogs — even the cutest puppies — but she loved Anna’s new addition to the family!

In this example, we use two em–dashes in order to emphasize that someone doesn’t like even the cutest and most lovable dogs in order to drive the point home. If we removed the phrase inside the em–dashes, the sentence would still logically make sense!

Example: A good way to test whether or not a phrase is “nonessential” is to remove it from the sentence and reread the altered version — it should still make sense! 

If this sentence sounded familiar, it’s because it is — it’s featured in an earlier paragraph for the parenthesis and em–dash section! Em–dashes can be very commonplace and applicable to many different sentences. Since the emphasized phrase occurs at the end of the sentence, we don’t need to use two em–dashes to set it off from the rest of the sentence. This example also shows that the phrase offset by an em–dash at the end of a sentence doesn’t necessarily have to be an incomplete clause: in this example, “it should still make sense” is a complete clause with both a subject and verb.

4) Clauses (Independent, Dependent)

Clauses are similar to phrases, but they contain both a subject and a verb. Independent clauses refer to complete sentences while dependent clauses refer to a phrase that cannot form a full sentence on its own. Sentences with multiple clauses usually require some form of punctuation, usually commas, in order to separate them from each other. 

To identify a clause, look for both a subject and verb preceding or following a comma. Alternatively, another way is to look for a subject and verb before subordinating conjunction, which we’ll dive into in this section.

Students can think of subordinating conjunctions as transitional phrases in sentences. A few extremely common subordinating conjunctions include: after, although, because, before, even though, since, when, where, whenever, whether, while, etc. If a clause begins with a subordinating conjunction, then that clause cannot stand on its own and must be followed by an independent clause.

In order to identify independent clauses, students should ask themselves if the part of the sentence they are considering can stand on its own: does it have both a subject and a verb? 

Example: Even though Andie didn’t like studying, she knew that all her time in the library paid off when she aced her Economics exam. 

In this example, there are two distinct clauses. The first clause, “even though Andie didn’t like studying,” contains a subordinating conjunction (“even though”), and therefore cannot stand on its own. Since it can’t stand on its own, the first clause we read is a dependent clause. However, the second clause contains both a subject and a verb and does not include a subordinating clause. If we were to simply read the second clause on its own, we would be able to comprehend the sentence: “She knew that all her time in the library paid off when she aced her Economics exam.” Therefore, students can identify this as an independent clause.

Once students feel comfortable with independent versus dependent clauses, they should also think about the process of building sentences. For example, connecting two independent clauses is necessary and usually requires common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A good mnemonic device to remember coordinating conjunctions is the acronym FANBOYS — F or A nd N or B ut O r Y et S o.

5) Semicolons and Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions

Two independent clauses cannot exist next to each other without either a comma and coordinating conjunction or if they are separated by a semicolon.

Semicolons can get confusing for students, but they act very similarly to periods. In fact, the biggest difference separating the function of semicolons and periods is that semicolons separate two complete sentences that are directly related. Still, periods can be used to separate two sentences that are directly related — semicolons just help to drive the connection home.

Example: She just bought a car, she can drive it tomorrow. (This is grammatically incorrect! )

This example combines two independent clauses together, but actually is grammatically incorrect because it doesn’t separate them with a coordinating conjunction or semicolon. The correct way to express this idea would be “She just bought a car, so she can drive it tomorrow,” or “She just bought a car; she can drive it tomorrow.”

Another punctuation mark that might lead to confusion for some students is the colon. Colons are used to separate an independent clause and list, or an independent clause and an explanation of the independent clause.

The most common use for colons is to denote a list, but that is not the only time colons are grammatically correct! Typically, students will eliminate an answer choice with a colon if they do not see a list come after; it’s extremely important to understand that colons can also act similarly to em-dashes in that they can be used to provide more details about a previous clause.

Example: To go camping, bring the following items: a tent, sleeping bag, warm clothing, toiletries, and a water bottle. 

This example demonstrates the most familiar use of a colon.

Example: I can’t believe what happened: we got lost in the woods and couldn’t get out until the ranger came to get us!

The colon in this example separates the independent clause (“I can’t believe what happened”) and an expansion of that idea (“we got lost in the woods and couldn’t get out until the ranger came to get us!”) Both uses of the colon are grammatically correct.

7) False Comparisons

Another commonly–missed concept on the SAT Writing section is false comparisons. The two objects being compared to one another must fall under the same “category” of nouns in order to make the sentence grammatically correct. For instance, objects must be compared with other objects, and people have to be compared with other people; comparing an object with a person would not make sense.

Example : Jane’s clothes are more flattering than Josh’s. (This is grammatically incorrect .)

Here, Jane’s clothes are being compared to Josh’s. While this sentence may sound alright because we may colloquially speak this way, grammatically the sentence is illogical. Comparing items (clothes) to a person (Josh) doesn’t make sense; the sentence is trying to compare Jane’s clothes to Josh’s clothes. Therefore, the proper way to write this sentence is, “Jane’s clothes are more flattering than Josh’s clothes.”

The SAT may find ways to complicate this concept. For example, they might write the sentence as “Jane’s clothes are more flattering than that of Josh.” The grammar issue here is now that the plurality of the compared items is not parallel. Since clothes are plural, the noun representing both items must be plural. The correct way to phrase this sentence would be, “Jane’s clothes are more flattering than those of Josh.” 

8) Transition Words

Another common concept the SAT likes to test is your understanding of transition words.

In the writing test section, you will know that the SAT is testing your transition word knowledge if you see that the answer choices contain words like “however,” “consequently,” or “nevertheless.” Transition words help connect two different ideas together, making sure that the logical flow of the passage makes sense.

Different transition words serve different purposes. The SAT will ask about basic transition transitional relationships: addition, contrast, and causation.

Addition words will continue a previous line of thought, or it might introduce new information that supports a sentence earlier in the passage. On the other hand, contrasting words will transition from one idea to a competing idea — in fact, we just used transition words (“on the other hand”) to move from talking about addition words to contrasting words! Causation words will indicate a causal relationship, as its name indicates. This means that the two sentences connected by a causation transition word will be related to or caused by one another.

“Addition” Transition Words

• Furthermore
• In other words
• In addition
• For example

“Contrast” Transition Words

• Despite this
• Nevertheless
• On the other hand

“Causation” Transition Words

• As a result
• Consequently
• Due to this

How to Get a Perfect 800 on the SAT Writing Section

Practice tests.

While the section above covered some of the biggest concepts tested by the Writing section, there are still many rules to learn and master. The best way to do this is, again, targeted practice! 

Since you’re focusing on the SAT Writing section specifically, completing the Writing sections of different practice tests is a great place to start. Looking back at questions you struggled with can help you understand why certain choices are wrong answers, and you’ll also become more familiar and comfortable with the exam’s format.

Knowing some of the more common types of concepts the SAT tests also means you will know how to study for answer questions that cover topics that we discussed earlier in this article. The more you know about the College Board’s curriculum, the better — so you’re already a step ahead after reading through this article.

Private Tutoring with SoFlo Tutors

Whether students choose to develop their understanding on their own or turn to an online SAT tutor , they can conquer the Writing section by brushing up on key grammar rules.

SoFlo Tutors have bright tutors who have scored in the top percentiles of the SAT in the past and can help boost your score. Schedule a free consultation here to get started.

Additional SAT Resources

• When Should I Take the SAT?: https://soflotutors.com/blog/when-should-i-take-the-sat/
• SAT Crash Courses | How to Cram for the SAT: https://soflotutors.com/blog/sat-crash-course/
• Ivy League SAT Expectations: What Harvard and All the Ivies Want: https://soflotutors.com/blog/ivy-harvard/
• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT 2021 | Your Comprehensive Guide: https://soflotutors.com/blog/how-to-get-a-perfect-1600-score-on-the-sat-2021-your-comprehensive-guide/
• The Best SAT Prep Cram Camps: https://soflotutors.com/blog/sat-prep-bootcamps/

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How to Master the Writing Section on the SAT

by Ellie Kim | Jun 26, 2023 | Study Tips | 0 comments

The writing section of the SAT is one aspect of the verbal section of the SAT, with the other component of the exam being the reading section. According to the College Board, “The Writing and Language test is a multiple-choice test in which you read passages and find and fix mistakes and weaknesses”. With 44 multiple choice questions and 35 minutes to complete them all, the writing section requires preparation and practice to achieve mastery. In this article, we will explore valuable tips and tricks to help you ace the writing section of the SAT.

Understand the Format and Scoring

Familiarizing yourself with the structure of the writing section is critical to mastering the section as a whole. As previously mentioned, the section consists of 44 multiple choice questions based on passages. Each passage has 11 questions, which each fall into two types: improving the expression of ideas, and recognizing and correcting grammatical errors. The four passages range in difficulty and complexity; one passage is always a narrative, while the three others are argumentative or informative texts. The writing section contributes to the overall verbal score, which is calculated with both the reading and writing section scores. You can see the full details on the writing section in the official webpage in the College Board website.

Review Grammar Rules

In a similar vein, become well-versed in the rules of grammar and writing conventions. Reviewing topics such as subject-verb agreement, parallelism, verb tenses, pronoun usage, and sentence structure will produce great results in the long run, as questions regarding these topics are commonly seen on the SAT.

Take Advantage of Resources

Make sure to utilize the sheer volume of SAT preparation resources available to you. Practice tests, study guides, and online tutorials can provide valuable insights into the test format, scoring guidelines, and even supply practice questions.

Practice Regularly

Practice is key to improving your writing skills. Though the SAT does not require you to submit any original writing, having a strong foundation in writing will certainly benefit your results in this section. Make sure to familiarize yourself with sample passages and time yourself as you answer the multiple choice questions. Review and analyze your results, identifying areas for improvement. If you identify consistent errors, make sure to take time to brush up on the specific grammatical lessons. The SAT is known for recycling questions or question types, so it is in your best interest to nail down a topic because it will most likely show up again. Remember, these skills will not suddenly become second nature to you— it requires time, so be gentle and patient with yourself. 

Mastering the writing section of the SAT requires a combination of sufficient practice, strong reading and writing skills, and familiarity with the exam’s format. By understanding the structure and scoring system, and practicing regularly, you can significantly improve your performance on this section of the SAT. Take our free practice test and see where you are now!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, printable sat practice tests pdfs: 22 free official tests.

SAT General Info

In this article, I'll tell you where to find all official, printable SAT practice tests and answer keys. This comprehensive guide gives you access to more SAT practice tests than any other online guide. In addition, you'll learn key strategies that'll help you make big improvements on SAT practice tests you can print out.

College Board Switches to Fully Digital SAT

In spring 2023, the College Board began making its transition to a fully digital version of the SAT—they began this launch with students taking the test internationally. Students taking the test in the U.S. will see this same transition in spring 2024, when the SAT officially completes its launch of the Digital SAT Suite of Assessments .

Therefore, the official digital SAT practice tests are the most relevant—you want to practice in the same format you’ll take the official test to best prepare for realistic testing conditions. This will give you the most authentic test experience and prepare you for what you’ll see and do on test day.

Nothing in life is free...except these practice tests! 

Free Digital SAT Practice Tests (Current 1600 Format, 2023-Present)

There are currently 4 full-length digital adaptive tests available that use the same interface, format, and scoring that you’ll see on the real digital SAT. To access these digital tests you’ll first need to download Bluebook , the app where you will register and take the digital SAT. There, you will find not just practice tests, but additional resources that will help you prepare for this new format. 

Free Printable SAT Practice Tests with the New Digital Format (Current 1600 Format, 2023-Present)

Now that the SAT is fully digital, only students with approved accommodations will be able to take the test in paper form. If you’ll be taking a paper and pencil version of the SAT, then, you’ll want to start with their most recent practice tests that match the new digital SAT format. The College Board currently offers 4 official, printable practice tests that model the new digital SAT format. 

Full-Length Linear Practice Test 1: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations 

Full-Length Linear Practice Test 2: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations 

Full-Length Linear Practice Test 3: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations 

Full-Length Linear Practice Test 4: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations 

Free Printable SAT Tests (Past 1600 Format, 2016-2023)

Currently, there are 8 available practice tests for the redesigned SAT , all of which have been provided by the maker of the SAT itself, the College Board .

Note that some official practice SATs still include an essay. The essay was previously an optional part of the SAT.  Skip over any practice SAT Essays you come across and focus your studying on the remaining sections of the exam (Math, Reading, and Writing and Language). You can also learn more about the ending of the SAT Essay here.

Practice Test 1: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 3: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 5: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 6: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations

Practice Test 7: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 8: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 9: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations

Practice Test 10: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations

Don't forget to fill in your answers with the SAT answer sheet .

If you would like to get a jump start on practicing for the digital SAT debuting in fall, 2024, you can access what you need at the College Board website . You will first need to download Bluebook, the app where you will register and take the digital SAT. There, you will find not just practice tests, but additional resources that will help you prepare for this new format. 

Where Are Practice Tests 2 and 4?

You probably noticed that Practice Test 2 and Practice Test 4 are missing from the section above. That's because the College Board has removed them from their list of officially available practice tests.

If you've already worked through the first eight official practice tests and want to keep working on test-taking skills like time management and strategy, then these exams are a great option!

Practice Test 2: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Practice Test 4: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations  

Free Printable SAT Tests (Old 2400 Format, 2005-2016)

These next tests follow the old 2400 format of the SAT, with separate Critical Reading, Math, and Writing sections. (By contrast, on the current SAT, your Reading and Writing scores are combined for a total Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score.)

Despite their somewhat out-of-date structure, these tests can be useful for your studying. Just keep in mind all the major differences between the old and current SAT . I recommend using these tests more as training sessions than as full-on practice for the SAT.

Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2013-14: Questions | Answers

Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2012-13: Questions | Answers

Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2007-08: Questions | Answers

Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2004-05: Questions | Answers

It might look as though I've skipped a few years here, but I actually haven't: all the tests for the years not listed are repeats of those above, including the 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10, 2008-09, 2006-07, and 2005-06 practice tests. So if you find these tests on other forums or websites, don't waste your time taking them since they're the exact same as the ones already listed.

Free Printable SAT Tests (Very Old 1600 Format, Pre-2005)

Before the SAT underwent a redesign in 2016, the last time it had changed was in 2005, back when it jumped from a 1600-point scale to a 2400-point scale.

Despite this massive shift in scoring, only a few major differences could be found between the very old 1600 SAT and the old 2400 SAT. Other than those, most of the test remained the same.

As a result, these very old SAT practice tests are a hidden gold mine that few students know of. By taking these tests, then, you'll have that much more of an edge over other test takers.

Before I give you the links, though, note a few important caveats:

• You can skip the analogies questions on Reading. These are the questions that look like "CAR : ENGINE ::." Since they're no longer on the SAT, there's no point in studying them.
• You can skip the comparison questions on Math. This question type presents two boxes and asks you to decide whether A or B is greater. Again, these aren't on the current SAT, so you don't need to worry about these.
• There is no Writing section on these tests. Therefore, make sure you use supplementary prep materials to study the grammar and question types you'll need to know for the current SAT's Writing and Language section.

Be grateful you don't need to answer some of these old-format questions—analogies were the primary reason that the SAT had a bad reputation for forcing students to memorize vocab!

Official SAT Test 2004-05: Questions | Answers

Official SAT Test 2003-04: Questions | Answers

Official SAT Test 2002: Questions + Answers

Official SAT Test 2001: Questions + Answers

6 Tips for Getting the Most Out of SAT Practice Tests

Each SAT practice test requires over three hours of intense focus, so it's important to utilize them effectively. Below are six critical strategies to follow each time you take a practice test.

#1: Take Practice Tests in the Same Format That You’ll Take the Real SAT

With the SAT switching to digital delivery between 2023-2024, you’ll need to check your test date to know whether you’ll be taking the SAT digitally or on paper. Once you know that, you can choose the best option for your prep— you want to choose the same format and delivery for your practice tests as for the real thing. 

So, if you’ll be taking the SAT in the U.S. before spring 2024, start with the 8 official, printable tests at the beginning of this article. If you’ll be taking the SAT digitally, either internationally or in the U.S. after spring 2024, you should download the College Board’s Bluebook app and use the 4 official, digital practice tests. And if you’ll have accommodations for taking the SAT after spring 2024 and will be using a paper copy for the real test, start by taking the 4 official, printable practice tests with the new digital SAT format. 

#2: Use Strict Timing on Each Section

Although time pressure can be intimidating, it's important to follow official SAT time limits as closely as possible on practice tests.

Why? If, for example, you spend just two extra minutes on a section, this could raise your score by hundreds of points, since the extra time allowed you to answer more questions than you would've been able to within the actual time limit. As a result, your practice SAT score becomes inflated and doesn't give you an accurate indicator of your actual scoring ability.

On the digital SAT, there are two sections with two modules each:

Reading and Writing

• Time per module:
• Questions per module:
• Time per question:

Make sure to give yourself breaks , too!

#3: Take the Test in One Sitting

The digital SAT is shorter than older versions of the exam but it still lasts over two hours on an early Saturday morning. Many of my students have told me how difficult it was to stay focused the entire time and keep themselves from making careless mistakes at the end.

Preparing for the SAT is like training for a marathon: you need to ensure you have enough stamina to make it through the test. And the best way to do this is to take each practice test in one sitting, as if you were taking the actual SAT.

If it's too difficult for you to find the time to take a practice test in one sitting, go ahead and split it up over several days—just make sure you adhere to the time limits for each section. Ultimately, it's better to do some SAT practice than none at all!

#4: Review Your Mistakes (and Your Correct Answers, Too)

Practice tests aren't just good for getting to know the SAT format and sections—they're also great for learning from your mistakes .

For every practice SAT test you take, spend time reviewing both questions you got wrong and questions you got right. If you don't know why you missed a question, don't just skip it and move on; doing this means you won't learn what kind of mistake you made, which increases your risk of making it over and over again. This habit can affect your score pretty drastically.

So make sure to approach your SAT prep with this in mind: quality over quantity. I'd rather have you take three practice tests with detailed review than six practice tests with no review.

#5: Take At Least 4 Practice Tests Before the Actual SAT

From my experience with thousands of students, this magic number works best at getting students really comfortable with the SAT in all major respects, including timing and endurance.

If you want to take more than four tests, go ahead and try it out—just make sure that you balance your prep with some focused studying on your weaknesses so that you can make faster progress.

#6: Use Supplemental Resources If Necessary

Some students are great at learning the ins and outs of the SAT through practice tests alone—they recognize their mistakes, understand why they made them, and avoid making them in the future.

But most students need additional help to pinpoint their weaknesses and teach them the skills and strategies needed for success on the SAT. If practice tests aren't enough for you, download our free guide to help you figure out which SAT prep method works best for you.

What's Next?

Want to get a perfect SAT score? Take a look at our famous guide to a 1600, written by an expert SAT perfect-scorer.

Aiming high on each SAT section? Then read our individual, in-depth strategy guides to help you reach an 800 on SAT Reading , SAT Math , and SAT Writing .

Looking for expert strategies that can help you ace the exam? No problem. Check out our six expert tips that can help you boost your score.

As co-founder and head of product design at PrepScholar, Allen has guided thousands of students to success in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions. He's committed to providing the highest quality resources to help you succeed. Allen graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude and earned two perfect scores on the SAT (1600 in 2004, and 2400 in 2014) and a perfect score on the ACT. You can also find Allen on his personal website, Shortform , or the Shortform blog .

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Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

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