SAT Syllabus

The SAT is designed to assess the skills students need for college-level study through two main sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. Knowing the SAT syllabus helps students understand the topics tested and prepare with a clear study plan.

The SAT exam syllabus includes reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary in context, algebra, problem-solving, and data analysis. Understanding these areas can help students identify their strengths and focus on topics that need more preparation.

In the sections below, you will explore the SAT math syllabus, reading and writing syllabus, and the different types of questions asked in the test. It also explains how to prepare effectively for each section and approach the exam with better confidence.

SAT Reading and Writing Syllabus

SAT Reading and Writing section tests your understanding, analyzing, and improving skills of the text. SAT syllabus consists of short passages or a pair of passages in which students practice reading comprehension, vocabulary development, application of evidence, grammar, and revision strategies.

Information and Ideas

The aim of this part of the SAT exam syllabus is to test your comprehension of information and your application of evidence in a text. It may also require you to interpret data presented in figures, charts, and other visual representations of facts.

• Main Ideas and Details: Locating the main ideas and relevant information in the text.
• Inferences: Make logical conclusions based on information that is directly or indirectly given. 
• Command of Evidence: Select evidence that proves a claim or conclusion. 
• Textual Evidence: Identifying details in the text that support a specific point or response.
• Quantitative Evidence: Understanding the information presented in numbers and correctly responding to the question. This strategy is used when a passage contains numerical data.
• Graphs and Tables: Interpret and relate information from graphics with details in the text. 

Craft and Structure

This section deals with the usage, arrangement and relevance of words, sentence structure and information in the text. It is important for the students to understand the meaning of the text and the connections between parts of the text. 

• Words in Context: Understanding the word meaning from the context in which it is used
• Vocabulary and Word Meanings: Pick suitable words that convey a precise meaning as well as match the context.
• Text Structure: It refers to the organization of the text and the way ideas are presented by the author.
• Author's Purpose: Determine the purpose of an author's writing in a passage of text. 
• Cross-Text Connections: The relations between two different texts can be identified.

Expression of Ideas

This section checks your ability to make information in writing clearer and more organised. Questions may draw on your choosing the most appropriate revision for a purpose.

• Rhetorical Synthesis: Use information from various sources to accomplish a writing task.
• Revising for Clarity: Select a word choice makes the meaning clearer and easier to understand. 
• Organization of Ideas: Arrange ideas in a logical and effective order. 
• Logical Flow: Improve the connection between sentences and ideas within a text. 
• Transitions: Choose appropriate words and/or phrases to link ideas. 

Standard English Conventions

In this part of SAT syllabus, you will be expected to show knowledge of the following aspects of standard English grammar and writing conventions:

• Sentence Boundaries: Knowledge of how to resolve run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and misuse of conjunctions in sentence formation.
• Grammar and Usage: Use correct verbs, pronouns and modifiers.
• Punctuation: Use of commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons and punctuation marks.
• Sentence Structure: Understand the sequence of words and phrases in sentences.
• Form, Structure, and Sense: Choosing words and phrases that are grammatically correct, appropriate, and meaningful.

Literature, history and social studies, humanities, and science passages are included in the SAT exam syllabus. There is a short text to each question or two related texts and one multiple choice question to each.

Suggested Read: SAT Vocabulary

SAT Math Syllabus

The SAT exam maths syllabus covers how to apply math to problems which are directly mathematical. It also covers how to use math to solve problems that are real world. The Math section focuses on reasoning, problem solving and reasoning about the relationships among numbers in various contexts.

Algebra

Algebra questions are all about solving, analysing and interpreting linear relationships. You may have to solve equations, functions and inequalities with one or more variables and solve systems of equations.

• Linear Equations in One Variable: Involves finding the value of a variable by solving equations with only one variable. 
• Linear Equations in Two Variables: Solve equations that express a relationship between two variables. 
• Linear Functions: The graph and interpretation of linear functions.
• Systems of Linear Equations: Involves solving systems of linear equations comprising two or more other equations. 
• Linear Inequalities: Solve and interpret inequalities involving linear expressions. 

Advanced Math

In this part of the SAT Math syllabus, students will see more difficult mathematical ideas and will be ready for more advanced studies. Questions may have nonlinear equations, functions, expressions and other forms of algebraic relationships.

• Equivalent Expressions: Convert mathematical expressions into an equivalent expression.
• Nonlinear Equations: Solving equations with variables to exponents or under roots. 
• Systems of Nonlinear Equations: Analyzing systems of equations, in which the relationships are not linear. 
• Nonlinear Functions: Understanding functions that are not straight lines on an graph.
• Quadratic Equations: Solve and understand quadratic equations. 
• Exponential Equations: Solve equations with exponential growth or decay. 
• Polynomial and Rational Expressions: Simplifying and evaluating polynomials and rational expressions. 

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis

The aim of this part of the SAT syllabus is to focus on the way mathematics can be used to interpret data and to solve problems in everyday life. Students may need to apply tables, graphs, scatterplots and word problems to solve information-based problems.

• Ratios and Rates: Compare quantities and solve problems with rates.
• Proportional Relationships: Identify relationships between quantities that are related by a constant amount. 
• Units and Unit Conversions: Convert between units correctly.
• Percentages: Work out percentage increases and decreases and compare percentages. 
• One-Variable Data: Analyse data involving a single variable, called one-variable data. 
• Two-Variable Data: Study relationships between two different variables with Two-Variable Data.
• Probability: Calculate the likelihood of different outcomes. 
• Conditional Probability: Find probabilities based on a given condition. 
• Statistical Inference: Make sample data about a population based on sample information.
• Evaluating Statistical Claims: Make decisions about whether a claim is supported by data.

Geometry and Trigonometry

Geometry and trigonometry questions require knowledge of shapes, measurements and spatial relationships. Different problems will require the use of mathematical formulas and concepts to solve.

• Area and Volume: Involves finding the area of shapes and the volume of other objects. 
• Lines and Angles: Finding relationships between lines, and angles, and different types of angles. 
• Triangles: Solving problems on the properties of triangles, and the relationships between their sides and angles. 
• Right Triangles: Finding out the application of the relationships between the sides and angles of a right triangle. 
• Trigonometry: Applying trigonometric ratios to solve math problems. 
• Circles: Involves finding out and applying properties and formulas of circles
• Coordinate Geometry: Solve problems having points, lines, and shapes on a coordinate plane. 

Algebra, advanced math, problem-solving and data analysis, and geometry and trigonometry are the four aspects of the SAT exam maths syllabus. Each one of the topics mentioned is a concept crucial for the exam.

Also Read: Old vs New SAT Format