1. Test Content Specifications
The SAT Reading Test
Test Content Specifications

2. Overview Time Allotted: 65 minutes
Passage Word Count: 3,250 words total from four single passages and one pair; words per passage which gives you 15 minutes per passage.
Total Questions: 52 Questions
All questions are multiple choice and passage based.

3. Contribution of Items to Subscores and Scores
Words in Context: 10 questions
Command of Evidence: 10 questions
Analysis of History/Social Studies: 21 questions
Analysis in Science: 21 questions

4. Passage Contents U.S. and World Literature: 1 passage, 10 questions
History/Social Studies: 2 passages, or 1 passage and 1 pair; questions each
Science: 2 passages, or 1 passage and 1 pair; questions each
Graphics: 1-2 in 1 History/Social Studies and in 1 Science passage
The text complexity is a specified range from grades 9-10 to postsecondary entry across 4 passages and 1 pair.
The graphical data representations are somewhat challenging.

5. Information and Ideas Reading Closely
Determining Explicit Meanings: explicitly stated in text
Determining Implicit Meanings: inferences and logical conclusions from textUsing Analogical Reasoning: student will extrapolate in a reasonable way from the information and ideas in a text or apply information and ideas in a text to a new, analogous situation
Citing Textual Evidence
Determining Central Ideas and Themes
Summarizing
Understanding Relationships
Interpreting Words and Phrases in Context

6. Rhetoric Questions Analyzing Word Choice Analyzing Purpose
Analyzing Text Structure
Analyzing Overall Text Structure
Analyzing Part-Whole Relationships
Analyzing Point of View
Analyzing Arguments
Analyzing Claims and Counterclaims
Assessing Reasoning
Analyzing Evidence

7. Synthesis Questions Analyzing multiple texts
Analyzing quantitative information