How the digital SAT works
This lesson is not tested, but it affects every point you earn: students who know the format waste less time and answer more questions. The test has two sections, Reading and Writing and Math, and each section has two modules.
The format at a glance
The digital SAT has two sections, taken one after the other: Reading and Writing, then Math. Each section is split into two modules. In total you work for 134 minutes, plus a 10-minute break between the two sections. Reading and Writing passages are short (25–150 words), and each has one question.
| Reading and Writing | Math | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 54 (27 + 27) | 44 (22 + 22) |
| Time | 64 min (32 + 32) | 70 min (35 + 35) |
| Per question | about 71 seconds | about 95 seconds |
| Tools | – | Desmos calculator and a reference sheet are built in |
| Score | 200–800 | 200–800 |
Adaptive modules
Each section has two modules. The first module has a mix of easy, medium and hard questions. How you do in it decides whether the second module of that section is easier or harder. For you, the lesson is simple: work carefully and steadily from the first question, because module 1 matters.
Scoring and guessing
Each section is scored from 200 to 800, and the total is from 400 to 1600. There is no penalty for a wrong answer: a wrong answer scores the same as a blank. So you should always answer every question. If you do not know, remove the choices you know are wrong and guess among the rest. When time is almost up, guess the remaining questions.
Moving around the test
Inside a module you can go back and forth between questions and use the flag button to mark questions to check later. When the module ends, you cannot return to it. Once you start module 2, module 1 is closed. So use your time inside each module: answer everything first, then use the remaining minutes to revisit the flagged questions.
Typed answers in Math
About a quarter of the Math questions have no choices: you type the answer. You can enter a whole number, a decimal or a fraction, such as 7/2 or 3.5, but not a mixed number such as 3 1/2. A positive answer can have up to 5 characters and a negative answer up to 6, including the minus sign. Do not type units, a dollar sign or a percent sign.
Test day
Check the College Board’s official checklist before test day. In general, bring your admission ticket, a photo ID and a charged device with the Bluebook app already installed. Practice in Bluebook first, so that the screen, the timer and the tools feel familiar. The next test dates are listed in the table.
| Test date |
|---|
| 7 November 2026 |
| 5 December 2026 |
| 6 March 2027 |
| 1 May 2027 |
| 5 June 2027 |
How to use this site
Darslab follows a 12-week plan. In Week 1, finish this lesson and the Desmos lesson, then take an official Bluebook practice test to find your starting score. Each skill lesson has an explanation, worked examples, common traps, a quick check and a 10-question practice set. Registration deadlines and any changes to dates are on the College Board’s official dates page, so check it before you register.
- The section lasts 64 minutes, which is 64 × 60 = 3840 seconds.
- There are 54 questions.
- 3840 ÷ 54 ≈ 71 seconds.
- Mixed numbers are not accepted.
- Write the value as an improper fraction, 7/2, or as a decimal, 3.5.
- Both forms fit easily within the 5-character limit.
- Module 1 includes easy, medium and hard questions.
- Your results in module 1 decide whether module 2 is easier or harder.
The young scientist was ______ about everything she saw in the rainforest: she asked the guide the name of each bird, took notes on every plant, and kept stopping to look at insects on the path.
- The passage is 25–150 words and the question has one passage and four choices.
- Clue: she asks about everything and takes notes.
- “Curious” fits. The other words do not match her behavior.
- Leaving questions blankThere is no penalty for wrong answers. Answer every question, even with a guess.
- Spending too long on one questionIf you are stuck after about a minute (two for hard Math), guess, flag it and move on. You can come back before the module ends.
- Planning to go back to module 1 laterYou cannot return to a module after it ends. Use the flag button and finish your checking inside the module.
- Typing an answer in the wrong formType 7/2 or 3.5, never 3 1/2. No units, no $, no %. Maximum 5 characters (6 with a minus sign).
- Meeting the test for the first time on test dayPractice in Bluebook before the test, so you know the screen, the timer and the tools.
- Not checking the official sourcesDates, deadlines and the checklist for test day can change. Read them on the College Board’s official website.