how long does the sat essay take

How Long Is the SAT?

Last Updated on April 20, 2023

The SAT booklet is the same length and width as standard U.S. Letter paper. So, the SAT is about 11 inches long (and 8.5 inches wide) … Ha!

Now that we’re all smiling, let’s dive into the two closely interrelated meanings of “How long is the SAT?” that you came here for:

• Duration: How much time does the SAT take ?
• Total volume: How many questions are on the SAT?

We’ll also touch on other factors related to SAT timing, including scheduled start time, breaks, and proctors’ warnings.

Here are the topics we’ll cover:

What is the total testing time, how long does the sat last, start to finish, how long will i spend in the test center.

• What Warnings Will My Proctor Give?

When Should I Get to the Test Center?

Who completes the essay, what is the length of the sat with essay, what’s next.

Let’s start by taking a look at how long each section of the SAT is.

How Long Are the SAT Test Sections?

The 2022-2023 SAT will have four sections. As shown on the College Board website , the sections will always appear in the same order, with the following durations:

The total testing time for all four sections of the 2022-2023 SAT (without the essay)—for the test sections only, NOT counting breaks—is 180 minutes.

The total testing time for the 2022-2023 SAT (without the essay) is exactly 3 hours.

When Are the Breaks During the SAT?

There are two scheduled breaks between sections:

• Between Sections 1 and 2 , the two verbal sections, you’ll get a 10-minute break .
• Between Sections 3 and 4 , the two math sections , you’ll get a 5-minute break .

Pay attention to the designated areas where you need to stay during the SAT. During these two breaks, you’ll most likely be restricted to the testing area, restrooms, and the adjoining hallway. If you stray from the designated areas, or if you’re overheard discussing any part of the exam with others, you’ll be dismissed and your scores will be voided!

Including breaks, the 2022-2023 SAT will last 195 minutes, or 3 hours and 15 minutes.

This is definitely more of a marathon than a sprint! So, at home before the test, be sure to eat a nutritious, well-balanced meal that is rich in both protein and complex carbohydrates. (But don’t stuff yourself.) This type of meal will be the ideal breakfast to fuel your brain for the duration of the SAT, so you’re unlikely to ‘crash’ partway through the test or experience big swings in your alertness. A balanced breakfast can also help regulate your stress levels during the SAT .

From start to finish, including breaks, the 2022-2023 SAT lasts for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

The entire duration of your 2022-2023 SAT experience on test day will include the time needed for preliminary procedures: filling out your personal information on the answer sheet, signing and dating your forms, and going over rules and procedures with your proctor.

These initial formalities should take about half an hour, for a grand total of 3 hours and 45 minutes of closed-door time inside the test center.

Since you can be admitted up to 15 minutes early, you could be inside the test center for up to 4 hours.

How Can I Track Time During the SAT?

Your testing area should have at least one clock prominently displayed where you can easily see it without having to wheel around or crane your neck.

In addition, your proctor will issue a predetermined set of time cues out loud for all test-takers to hear.

What Time Warnings Will My Proctor Give?

Here is the entire slate of time cues that your proctor will be instructed to speak aloud.

SECTION 1: Reading (65 minutes)

At the beginning: Time starts now.

After 30 minutes: You have 35 minutes remaining in Section 1.

After 60 minutes: You have 5 minutes remaining in Section 1.

After 65 minutes: Please stop work and put your pencil down.

10-Minute Break

The proctor should post the clock time that ends the break, when testing will resume. The proctor will not be required to give any time cues out loud during the break.

SECTION 2: Writing & Language (35 minutes)

After 15 minutes: You have 20 minutes remaining in Section 2.

After 30 minutes: You have 5 minutes remaining in Section 2.

After 35 minutes: Please stop work and put your pencil down.

SECTION 3: Math, No Calculator (25 minutes)

After 10 minutes: You have 15 minutes remaining in Section 3.

After 20 minutes: You have 5 minutes remaining in Section 3.

After 25 minutes: Please stop work and put your pencil down.

5-Minute Break

The proctor should post the time when testing will resume. The proctor will not necessarily issue any cues aloud.

SECTION 4: Math, With Calculator (55 minutes)

After 25 minutes: You have 30 minutes remaining in Section 4.

After 50 minutes: You have 5 minutes remaining in Section 4.

After 55 minutes: Please stop work and put your pencil down.

Your proctor will issue spoken time warnings on the schedule above. These will be valuable no matter what, but especially if there is any issue with the clocks in your testing room.

For Saturday administrations of the 2022-2023 SAT, the doors at your test center will open by 7:45 AM. The doors will close at 8:00 AM sharp.

Don’t be late! If you arrive after the doors close, you’ll be turned away and your test will be canceled.

What About the Optional Essay?

The optional SAT essay of previous years is no more. The weekend administrations of the 2022-2023 SAT, on nationwide test dates, will not offer an essay section.

However, there is a small group of test-takers in certain states who will, in fact, see an essay on their 2022-2023 SAT. If you’re one of these test-takers, you’ll write the essay as an additional section, after you finish the four sections that make up the SAT without essay.

The only 2022-2023 SAT administrations with an essay will be given during school hours, in states that have adopted the SAT as part of their mandatory statewide 11th grade public-school assessment testing. These states are Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma.

If you’re a rising junior at a public high school in one of these states, you’ll take the SAT with essay at school sometime in March or April 2023. If that’s you, please check with your high school guidance counselor or your college admissions advisor for exact test dates and times.

If you’re one of the “chosen few” who will take the 2022-2023 SAT with essay, you’ll have all the same timings and proctor cues as above, plus an additional 2-minute break and a 50-minute period during which to plan and write your essay.

Therefore, for these in-school administrations, the following times apply:

• The total testing time will be 230 minutes (3 hours and 50 minutes).
• The total duration from start to finish will be 247 minutes (4 hours and 7 minutes).
• Your total time spent inside the testing area will be at least 277 minutes (4 hours and 37 minutes).

Good luck, and enjoy your test prep!

Now that you know everything about SAT testing time, check out some tips for motivating yourself to study for the SAT .

You May Also Like...

About The Author

Ron is an inveterate strategist who has always delighted in discovering ‘hacks’ in every corner of his life—cracking standardized tests, charting optimal routes through Southern California's infamous traffic, finding and negotiating bargains, tweaking his own diet and sleep patterns, and more. And in his very first teaching job, back in high school sharing SAT strategies with his own classmates, Ron found the same passion for paying his accumulated knowledge forward. Since those days, Ron has taught in high-school and college classrooms, coached youth track-and-field athletes, and, of course, made a career in test preparation. Ron enjoys long trips on the open road; a bewildering variety of music, from classical to hip-hop to forró to electrocumbia; sharp, well-fitted, and slightly idiosyncratic outfit choices, on himself and others alike; 105-115ºF (40-45ºC) summer days with endless sunshine; and, most of all, building a life with his wife, muse, and kindred spirit, Sarah.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

How Long Is the SAT? 2023 Ultimate Guide

Aaron • Last updated on January 4, 2023

Are you planning to take the SAT soon? 

Before taking the exam, it is essential for you to know the SAT time limit as this is an essential part of your test preparation. In taking the SAT, you need to know more than just how to answer the questions and score high. It’s also crucial that you learn strategies for time management and pacing.

In this SAT time breakdown, we will answer the question: How long is the SAT test? We will identify the SAT time per section and how you can use the time to answer the test more efficiently. 

How long does the SAT take?

The SAT has three sections: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. The Math section consists of 2 tests: with a calculator and without. The SAT test length is 180 minutes or 3 hours, excluding the time for breaks. 

The optional Essay section, on the other hand, runs for 50 minutes. 

Below is the detailed breakdown of the times per SAT section:

What time does the SAT start?

The SAT begins around 8:30 to 9:00 am, depending on how long the preliminary procedure and reading of instructions will take. The testing center doors open at 7:45 am and close at exactly 8 am. 

Once you get inside the testing room, your electronic devices (except your calculator) and your bag will first be collected by the proctor. As soon as everyone is settled down and seated, the test materials are then distributed and the instructions read. 

Breaks during the SAT

Students need to take a break, especially during an intense and lengthy exam like the SAT. How long is the SAT with breaks included? 

The first break is 10 minutes long and will take place between the Reading section and the Writing and Language section. The next break, which is 5 minutes, will be between the two Math sections. 

For those taking the Essay section, a 2-minute break will be given after the Math test. 

Here is the SAT test time breakdown including the breaks:

You can use the breaks to leave the room, eat a snack, or use the restroom. 

Most testing centers include an additional experimental section as the last section on the SAT ( 1 ). This is for pretesting purposes. Do not worry much about it, though, for this section is NOT counted in the scoring process.

When will you finish the SAT?

The SAT time length is 3 hours and the breaks run for 15 minutes total. If you take the Essay section, you should finish between 12:15 and12:45 pm, depending on the time spent on the preliminary procedure and reading of instructions. If you are taking the Essay section, you should finish between 1:00 and 1:30 pm. 

Once your exam has concluded, the proctor will return your electronic devices and bag. 

How can you prepare for the lengthy SAT?

If you choose to take the Essay section, the SAT would take you nearly 4 hours to finish it. This is pretty long and will feel even longer when you’re nervous. What are the things that you can do to prepare for the long and intense SAT and to keep anxiety at bay?

Answer full-length practice tests

One of the most effective ways to prepare for the SAT is to answer full-length practice tests ( 2 ). These will help you get a good grasp of the actual test structure. Also, you will learn how to manage your time properly and efficiently so you can answer all the questions within the given timeframe. 

In answering SAT practice tests, it would be better to use official practice tests provided by the College Board. This is because the questions are similar to those of the actual standardized test. 

You should also answer newly released official practice tests. Doing so will give you an idea of the latest structure and flow. 

Time yourself

When answering a full-length practice test, time yourself. Now that you know how much time is allocated per section and the entire SAT, you can pace yourself accordingly. It is also recommended that you take breaks just like during the actual SAT. 

Timing yourself during the practice test will let you know how fast you can answer a certain section. If you find the allotted time insufficient, you can make adjustments to your answering process beforehand. 

With the given SAT test time and the number of questions per section, you will be able to calculate the average time per question, in which you can pattern your pace. 

Here is the average time you per question in each section:

Put into practice, you will be able to answer the SAT more efficiently. 

Time management on the SAT

Say, you are answering the actual SAT, how are you going to manage your time? 

According to US News ( 3 ), one of the most effective ways to take the SAT is to answer the easy questions first. Then, you can go back to the harder ones later. This way, you can allot more time to the more difficult questions. 

Experts also suggest that you use a watch to monitor your pace. Knowing the time given per section, you will be able to manage your time better. 

Stamina will also play a huge role in the SAT. The old SAT consisted of 10 small sections. In today’s standardized admissions test, subjects are distributed into four large sections. In answering questions in each section, it will be important for you to not only answer the questions quickly but to also keep the same pace throughout the test. 

Final thoughts

Now that you know how long the SAT takes, you can prepare for the test more efficiently and effectively. Being aware of the breakdown of the SAT exam time is going to be important for you. The SAT is a lengthy test, but always remember to stay relaxed and confident. Aside from your knowledge of concepts and theories, your time management will be crucial in attaining your goals on the SAT. 

• https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-the-sat-experimental-section
• https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests
• https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-02-22/how-long-the-sat-is-and-how-to-manage-that-time

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how long is the sat exam.

Hey guys, I'm a junior and planning to take the SAT soon. Can anyone tell me how long does the SAT exam typically last, including breaks and the optional essay? Thanks!

Hey there! The SAT exam duration varies depending on whether you're taking it with or without the optional essay. Here's a breakdown of the test length, including breaks:

Without the essay:

- Reading: 65 minutes

- Writing and Language: 35 minutes

- Math (No Calculator): 25 minutes

- Math (Calculator): 55 minutes

In addition to the testing time, you also receive one 10-minute break and one 5-minute break, totaling 15 minutes of break time. Considering these breaks, the duration of the SAT without the essay would be 3 hours and 15 minutes.

With the optional essay:

- Essay: 50 minutes

If you decide to take the SAT with the optional essay, the total time would be 4 hours and 5 minutes, including the two breaks.

Keep in mind that you should also account for extra time before and after the exam for activities such as checking in, instructions, and collecting materials. So, it's best to plan your day accordingly and expect to spend around 4.5 to 5 hours at the testing center if you choose to take the essay, and around 3.5 to 4 hours if you don't. Good luck with your test preparation!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How Long Does the SAT Take?

Is your SAT score enough to get you into your dream school?

Our free chancing engine takes into consideration your SAT score, in addition to other profile factors, such as GPA and extracurriculars. Create a free account to discover your chances at hundreds of different schools.

When it comes to the SAT, few factors are as important as time. From carefully scheduled prep work to pacing yourself in each section of the test, you’ll be paying a lot of attention to time as it pertains to your SAT. You’ll even need to consider the exact timing of your test date, to ensure you’re there when you need to be without any hassles.

Don’t miss this post to learn more about how long the SAT takes, what time it starts, and when to arrive at the SAT testing center.

How Long is the SAT? How About Each Section of the SAT?

*Note that there is an informal 2-minute break between the Math and optional Essay sections.

What Time Do I Need to Arrive for the SAT?

Punctuality is a necessity when it comes to SAT day. If you arrive late, you won’t be allowed in, so you need to know exactly when the cutoff is.

The good news is that the SAT is always administered at the same local time, so you can always expect to have the same check-in time, no matter what time zone you’re in. The CollegeBoard recommends that you arrive at your testing center no later than 7:45AM.

It’s a better idea to get there even earlier, though, to account for any lines or registration snafus. We recommend that you aim to be there by 7:30 to avoid any last minute rushes, which might lead to anxiety. To learn more about test taking anxiety and how you can beat it, check out our post 10 Ways to Overcome Test Taking Anxiety . Things do come up however, so just know that doors to testing rooms close at 8:00AM.

What Time Does the SAT Start?

The exact time that you begin taking your SAT is never determined in advance. Instead, it varies according to how long it takes each testing center to complete registration, seat students, and distribute testing materials.

Most SATs begin between 8:30-9:00AM. Once testing has begun, students will no longer be admitted. 

What Time Does the SAT End?

There may not be a strict start time, but once testing begins, timing becomes very rigid. The entire test takes three hours to complete without the optional essay, or three hours and 50 minutes with the optional essay, not including breaks.

Remember, the time that the test actually begins can vary slightly from one center to another, and this determines when your test will end. Allowing time for 15 minutes of formal breaks and another couple of minutes for reading directions between each section, you can expect to finish the SAT without essay anytime between 11:45AM and 12:30PM.

If you choose to complete the essay, you’ll stay for another 50 minutes to complete this section. As such, students writing the optional essay can expect to finish up between 12:30 and 1:30PM.

How to Plan Ahead for SAT Test Day

It’s a good idea to let your SAT be your only commitment on testing day to allay any concerns about what time your test ends or any other schedule constraints.

The first step to success on SAT day is getting out of bed. Seriously, though, you need to make sure you have an alarm set and a backup plan, like asking your parents to wake you if you aren’t up by your set time.

To figure out exactly what time this should be, work back from an ideal ETA of 7:30AM at the testing center. Account for the time it will take you to get to the testing center (and allow a buffer for traffic or detours just to be safe), and consider how much time you’ll need to get up, dressed, fed, and out the door.

Packing your backpack can be done the night before your exam. To learn more about what you need to pack, check out our post What Should I Bring to My SAT? . 

Time Management Strategies for the SAT

• Use the two-passes strategy for difficult questions — meaning that you’ll answer the easier questions first, before going back to tackle the more challenging ones. (After the first pass, skip the question and mark it to return to later.)
• If you can’t eliminate even one answer, just guess. There’s no longer a penalty for guessing, so you won’t lose points. The frequency of responses is roughly evenly distributed, so it’s a good idea to keep using the same letter for answers that require blind guessing, because then you’re likely to be correct around 25 percent of the time.
• Review the directions and format thoroughly before the test. That way, you won’t have to waste time familiarizing yourself with the test on the day of, when time is of the essence.
• Wear a watch. You won’t be able to have your phone out during the test, so having a watch handy will help you keep track of time. 
• Practice, practice, practice. Do so using the same time constraints as the ones you’ll have to face on test. The more you practice using these limits, the more comfortable you’ll be with the actual exam.

Check out How to Pace Yourself on Every Section of the SAT for more time-management strategies.

What to Do if You Run Out of Time

If you’re at risk of running out of time, make sure you’ve tackled as many of the questions you know you can answer without much difficulty first. As you go along, if you really have no idea about the answer to a question, guess immediately. If you can eliminate one or more responses, then write down a possible answer and mark the question to return to later. 

Keep careful track of the ones you skip (if you don’t, you’ll risk filling in your answer sheet incorrectly, which could be disastrous). Pay attention to the time warnings, and when you’re nearing the end of the test, go back and guess on the remaining questions. Remember to guess the same letter consistently if you really have no idea on a question; guess the same letter each time gives you a higher chance of getting the answer right (25%) than picking a different letter every question.

For additional tips about the night before and day of the exam, check out our post How to Prepare for the SAT: A 24-Hour Countdown .

Preparing for the SAT? Download our free guide with our top 8 tips for mastering the SAT.

Wondering how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance at your dream school? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account  to gain access to our data-driven chancing engine. We’ll use your standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, the strength of your transcript, and a host of other factors to give you your chances of acceptance at over 500 colleges.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• International

Trump's hush money trial

Russia's war in Ukraine

Israel-Hamas war

The latest on the massive solar storm

By Angela Fritz, Elise Hammond and Chris Lau, CNN

Incredible lighthouse picture from Maine

From CNN's Chris Lau

Among a flurry of surreal images capturing the dazzling auroras is one taken by Benjamin Williamson of a lighthouse in Portland, Maine.

"It's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, the awe and wonder," Williamson told CNN.

He said he used a long-exposure technique to snap the shot, but did not edit it.

Watch the full interview with Williamson here .

Things could be about to ramp up

If you still haven't seen the aurora, hold on for another 30 minutes to an hour, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

The next wave of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which cause the aurora, is about to arrive, he said.

"Just wait a minute because things are going to start to ramp up here," he said, adding that the increase could arrive "anytime now." "When it comes, get outside, get ready, put your coat on."

For those who are too busy to witness the phenomenon tonight, Myers said the aurora is expected to last three nights.

Why does the aurora last for a weekend?

By CNN's Chris Lau

Generally, it takes just eight minutes for light to travel 93 million miles to the Earth from the sun, but astrophysicist Janna Levin said the energized particles causing the current wave of aurora travel a lot slower, causing the phenomenon to last for the weekend.

"Some of these mass ejections are trillions of kilograms," she said. "They're slower. So they're taking longer, but still hours, maybe tens of hours."

Here's how the solar storm looks in the South and on the East Coast

The aurora was visible across the East Coast and in the South Friday.

Here's how it looked in Chester, South Carolina.

Down in Florida, waves of color swam through the sky.

Up north in New Jersey, a purple-ish haze could be seen in the sky.

Will solar storms get more intense and risky in the future?

The answer is probably not in the short term, according to astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi.

He said scientists study what is constantly happening on the surface of the sun and have found a pattern.

“Geological data shows us that in the past the sun was way more active than it is today. It has cycles where it goes very quiet ... and you have events that show that the solar activity was much, much greater,” he told CNN. “So there's no evidence that we're going to see those big maxima this cycle." 

But the astrophysicist also spoke of a caveat - the limitations of modern science.

“Even though it's predictable in the short term, we still don't quite understand what creates the magnetic fields in the sun,” he said, adding: “That's why NASA has so many satellites looking at the sun.”

In Pictures: Auroras light the sky during rare solar storm

From CNN Digital's Photo Team

A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun are creating dazzling auroras across the globe .

The rare solar storm may also disrupt communications. The last time a solar storm of this magnitude reached Earth was in October 2003, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

See more photos of the aurora from tonight.

Behind dazzling aurora could lie “real danger,” Bill Nye the Science Guy says

The massive solar storm could present “a real danger,” especially with the modern world relying so much on electricity, according to Bill Nye the Science Guy , a science educator and engineer.

Scientists are warning an increase in solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun have the potential to disrupt communication on Earth into the weekend. Solar flares can affect communications and GPS almost immediately because they disrupt Earth’s ionosphere, or part of the upper atmosphere. Energetic particles released by the sun can also disrupt electronics on spacecraft and affect astronauts without proper protection within 20 minutes to several hours.

In comparison to tonight's event, Nye drew comparisons with another incident in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, when telegraph communications were severely affected.

“The other thing, everybody, that is a real danger to our technological society, different from 1859, is how much we depend on electricity and our electronics and so on,” Nye said. "None of us really in the developed world could go very long without electricity."

He noted that there are systems in place to minimize the impact, but “stuff might go wrong,” stressing that not all transformers are equipped to withstand such a solar event.

“It depends on the strength of the event and it depends on how much of our infrastructures are prepared for this the sort of thing,” he said.

Bill Nye breaks down significance of the solar storm | CNN

This post has been updated with more details on solar flares' impact on electronics.

Here's where clouds will block the view of the northern lights in the US

From CNN's Angela Fritz

After an incredibly stormy week, most of the Lower 48 has clear skies to see the northern lights. But there are some areas where clouds and rainy weather are spoiling the view.

A deck of clouds is blocking the sky in the Northeast, from parts of Virginia into Maine, as an area of low pressure spins off the East Coast.

In the Midwest, the aurora will be hard to see through thick clouds in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan — including the Upper Peninsula — and Illinois.

A stripe of clouds is tracking across Texas, including Dallas-Forth Worth, and into Louisiana.

And in the Southwest, patchy clouds across the the Four Corners region could make the northern lights difficult to spot.

Aurora seen at least as far south as Georgia

Barely visible to the naked eye, the aurora can be seen in Atlanta in the 10 p.m. ET hour. 

It is easier to see through photographs using a long exposure. The photos below, taken by CNN's Eric Zerkel and Emily Smith, used 3- and 10-second exposures.

Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Strong geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, continues through weekend

NOAA space weather forecasters have observed at least seven coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, with impacts expected to arrive on Earth as early as midday Friday, May 10, and persist through Sunday, May 12, 2024. 

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Friday, May 10. Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend.

• The First of Several CMEs reached Earth on Friday, May 10 at 12:37 pm EDT.  The CME was very strong and SWPC quickly issued a series of geomagnetic storm warnings. SWPC observed G4 conditions at 1:39 pm EDT (G3 at 1:08 pm EDT).
• This storm is ongoing and SWPC will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional warnings as necessary.

This is an unusual and potentially historic event. Clinton Wallace , Director, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center

CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth. Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface , potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations. SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action.

Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth . A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California.

Related Features //

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how long is the sat with extended time.

SAT General Info

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible to receive extended time on one or more sections of the SAT. The options for extended time vary by student and must be approved ahead of the testing date by College Board's Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).

If you're a student, parent, or educator interested in extra time accommodations on the SAT, read on to learn about the different options and how long each one makes the SAT. First, let's briefly review who qualifies for additional time.

Who's Eligible for Extended Time on the SAT?

In order to qualify for extended time on the SAT, students must have a documented disability that constitutes a "relevant functional limitation." In other words, their disability impacts their ability to take the SAT, and extended time may help them improve their performance. These disabilities include visual, physical, medical, and motor impairments and learning disorders. 

Generally, eligible students will have an established Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan with their school. However, having a plan or accommodations for extra time at school doesn't necessarily guarantee them extra time on the SAT. A qualified school coordinator must make an official request to College Board and provide all the necessary documentation. Since approval takes about seven weeks, she should start this process early.

When making the request, the coordinator will indicate whether the student needs extended time for reading, mathematical calculation, written expression, or listening/speaking (for SAT Subject Tests). If the coordinator specifies extended time on reading, then the student will typically get extended time on all SAT sections, as they all require reading of some form. 

Apart from differences in time per section, what other options does College Board offer for extended time on the SAT?

What Are the Options for Extended Time on the SAT?

There are three options for extended time on the SAT: time and a half, double time, and 150% additional time. The amount of time students get varies depending on whether they take the SAT without the optional essay or the SAT with the essay section. Below, you can see the amount of time students get with each extended time option.

Time and a Half

The most common  option for extended time  on the SAT lengthens it by 50%. Time and a half makes the SAT without the optional essay a total of 4 hours and 30 minutes and the SAT with the essay a total of 5 hours and 45 minutes. Students with time and a half take the SAT at the usual time and place, on a Saturday morning at their testing center of choice.

Double Time

The second option is double time, or 100% additional time, for a total of 6 hours on the SAT without essay or 7 hours and 40 minutes for the SAT with essay. Students with double time typically take the SAT over the course of two days at their school. 

150% Additional Time

Finally, in rare cases students may be granted 150% additional time and get 7 hours and 30 minutes on the SAT without essay and 9 hours and 35 minutes on the SAT with essay. Like students with double time, students with 150% additional time typically take the SAT over the course of two days at their school , rather than take it at the official testing center. They would sit with a school coordinator, generally one on one, unless there were another student or two with similar accommodations. 

While the above mentioned times technically describe the length of the test, the actual experience is longer due to breaks and time for instructions . Considering these factors, how long will the SAT with accommodations actually take?

Ready with your planner?

The times above describe how much time a student has to complete the Reading , Writing , and Math sections, but they don't include breaks, instructions, or other logistics of the test-taking experience, like passing out and collecting the test booklets. Students with extended time must stay for the entire designated time , even if they finish early. They also can't flip between sections or self-pace, but instead must stay on each individual section until time has been called. 

Without accommodations, the SAT is 3 hours with the essay or 3 hours and 50 minutes with the essay. Without the essay, students get two breaks totaling about 10 minutes. With the essay, students get three breaks for a total break time of about 15 minutes. 

Extended time doesn't include extended or extra breaks unless a specific request has been made and approved. For most students with extended time, therefore, you can just add 10 or 15 minutes of break time and 30 to 60 minutes for administrative tasks to get a sense of how long the SAT will be. 

In the charts below for the SAT without essay and SAT with essay, I added 30 minutes for check in, instruction, filling out personal information on the tests, and finishing up. In a testing room with a lot of students, it may take a bit longer . For students testing individually or in small groups, check in may take a little less time . Here are my estimates for each extended time option to answer the question, how long is the SAT with breaks ?

SAT Without Essay 

Sat with essay.

Taking the SAT takes a lot of time, energy, and focus. Students definitely don't want to add to their stress by showing up late, and when finished they're probably eager to head home. So what's a safe time for pick up and drop off for students taking the SAT with extended time?

Safe Times for Drop Off and Pick Up 

As mentioned above, students with 50% additional time will take the SAT on Saturday morning at their preferred testing center. They should plan to arrive by 7:45. The SAT is administered between 8:30 and 9:00. Students with time and a half will be finished and ready to be picked up around 1:40 PM or 3:00 PM, depending on whether or not they're taking the essay section.

Students with more time will take the test over the course of two days at their school under the supervision of a designated administrator. Their timing will vary. Usually students who start at 8:30 AM test until around noon and then resume the next day. 

These accommodations are meant to improve the test-taking experience for students and meet their needs. Since the SAT is time intensive, students, parents, and coordinators should make sure to know the ins and outs of the process and options for extended time. Below are the key points to remember.

Key Points 

It takes about seven weeks for College Board to approve SAT accommodations, so gather your documentation and make your requests early.

The most common option for extended time is 50% additional time, though some students will get more or only qualify for extra time on certain sections.

Students decide whether or not to take the essay section when they register.

Students with time and a half will spend from around  7:45 AM to 1:40 or 3:00   PM at their testing center (depending on if they take the essay or not).

Extended time does not automatically include extended or extra breaks, so you need to make these requests separately.

Students must stay for their entire designated testing time, so even if they finish early, the above schedule will still apply.

Extended time can be a huge help for students with functional limitations, like reading comprehension or attention issues. Make your requests specific and supported by in-depth documentation, and leave extra time in case you need to appeal College Board's decision. Since the SAT is such an important test, you want to make sure you or your student is getting the accommodations she needs to see her best results.

What's Next? 

Apart from extended time, what other accommodations are available to students taking the SAT? Read our full guide on SAT accommodations and how to get them here .

Now that you know how long the entire SAT will take, what about each individual section? Answer any questions you have about exactly how long the SAT is here .

Want to score a super high SAT score?  Get all the tips and expert advice you need in  our guide to getting a perfect SAT score .

Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?  We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”