what does the sat essay do

What Is the SAT Essay?

College Board

• February 28, 2024

The SAT Essay section is a lot like a typical writing assignment in which you’re asked to read and analyze a passage and then produce an essay in response to a single prompt about that passage. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your reading, analysis, and writing skills—which are critical to readiness for success in college and career—and the scores you’ll get back will give you insight into your strengths in these areas as well as indications of any areas that you may still need to work on.

The Essay section is only available in certain states where it’s required as part of SAT School Day administrations. If you’re going to be taking the SAT during school , ask your counselor if it will include the Essay section. If it’s included, the Essay section will come after the Reading and Writing and Math sections and will add an additional 50 minutes .

What You’ll Do

• Read a passage between 650 and 750 words in length.
• Explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience.
• Support your explanation with evidence from the passage.

You won’t be asked to agree or disagree with a position on a topic or to write about your personal experience.

The Essay section shows how well you understand the passage and are able to use it as the basis for a well-written, thought-out discussion. Your score will be based on three categories.

Reading: A successful essay shows that you understood the passage, including the interplay of central ideas and important details. It also shows an effective use of textual evidence.

Analysis: A successful essay shows your understanding of how the author builds an argument by:

• Examining the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and other stylistic and persuasive techniques
• Supporting and developing claims with well-chosen evidence from the passage

Writing: A successful essay is focused, organized, and precise, with an appropriate style and tone that varies sentence structure and follows the conventions of standard written English.

Learn more about how the SAT Essay is scored.

Want to practice? Log in to the Bluebook™ testing application , go to the Practice and Prepare section, and choose full-length practice test . There are 3 practice Essay   tests. Once you submit your response, go to MyPractice.Collegeboard.org , where you’ll see your essay, a scoring guide and rubric so that you can score yourself, and student samples for various scores to compare your self-score with a student at the same level.

After the Test

You’ll get your Essay score the same way you’ll get your scores for the Reading and Writing and Math sections. If you choose to send your SAT scores to colleges, your Essay score will be reported along with your other section scores from that test day. Even though Score Choice™   allows you to choose which day’s scores you send to colleges, you can never send only some scores from a certain test day. For instance, you can’t choose to send Math scores but not SAT Essay scores.

Until 2021, the SAT Essay was also an optional section when taking the SAT on a weekend. That section was discontinued in 2021.

If you don’t have the opportunity to take the SAT Essay section as part of the SAT, don’t worry. There are other ways to show your writing skills as part of the work you’re already doing on your path to college. The SAT can help you stand out on college applications , as it continues to measure the writing and analytical skills that are essential to college and career readiness. And, if you want to demonstrate your writing skills even more, you can also consider taking an AP English course .

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Tips on How to Write the SAT Essay

Sat essay: the passage, 4 sat essay passage tips.

• Written for general audiences . Understanding the passage doesn’t require any special knowledge of content or vocabulary. They are the kinds of passages any high school student should be able to understand and analyze.
• Focused on a reasoned argument . On the SAT, arguments have nothing to do with conflicts, disagreements or fights. A reasoned argument is simply an author’s topic with their conclusion and the evidence they use to back it up. Your job is to analyze how they build their argument to persuade their readers of their point of view.
• Published works . All passages are taken from existing works; none are made up specifically for the SAT. Topics can include excerpts from political speeches, historical documents, personal calls for action, and the like. The essay prompts for the four tests in the current SAT Official Guide are a call for conservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., an essay on the pros and cons of students using digital media, and a first-person essay on the benefits of natural darkness
• Analysis of subtle subject matter . You’ll have to do some real thinking to understand the important points in the essay. Writers rarely state ideas in simple sentences such as “I think everyone should vote.” More likely the idea will be conveyed in a more subtle form, such as “The right to vote freely and without intimidation is a fundamental hallmark of a democracy and a way to make one’s political choices heard.” Making connections and inferences will be important in analyzing the passage’s subject matter.

[ RELATED : What’s tested on the SAT Reading and Writing section ]

SAT Essay: The Directions

As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims., sat essay directions example 1, reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence., stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed., sat essay directions example 2, write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience that [author’s claim]. in your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [his/her] argument. be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author’s] claims, but rather explain how the author builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience., 5 essential sat essay directions tips.

Your task is to analyze the argument, so you’ll need to focus on the author’s conclusion, and to consider how the author builds that argument. Note that the testmaker gives you a head start here, suggesting that you include analysis of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic elements.

• How nice that they included more guidance in the second set of directions! The testmaker pretty much tells you what the essay is about. Use these directions to pinpoint the author’s argument.
• Even nicer—the testmaker encourages you to use the features in the first set of directions, but note that you can develop your own.
• Focus on relevant features. The passage author may add some tangential information which is not important to their primary argument. Don’t spend any time on these. You may not have enough time to write everything that you think of, so prioritize your points and include those which are most pertinent to the argument and how the author develops it.
• Your essay won’t include a personal point of view. As the instructions say, “Your essay should not explain whether or not you agree with (author’s) claims.” “Claims,” by the way, is another word for argument, which is another way of saying what the author thinks and why. Be very careful here. Don’t analyze the essay for your own opinion, but only for the argument itself and how the author supports it. If you write about your own opinion, you’ll get a low score on the essay.

You’ll have 50 minutes to write the essay, which will come at the end of the SAT. You’re given two double-sided, lined pages to write on, so be sure you can include everything you want to say in that space, but don’t feel you need to fill up all the pages. Writing just for the sake of taking up space is a bad idea, and one the readers will recognize and penalize you for.

Because the format and directions for the SAT essay are always the same (but the passage changes), you can memorize them and practice writing essays.  Pay close attention to doing exactly what the instructions say, spend some time thinking before writing, prioritize your points, and write clearly and well (more about that in yet another blog), and you’ll score well on this optional, but important part of the SAT.

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Does the SAT Essay Matter? – Don’t Stress it Too Much

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: January 29, 2020

If you’re applying to college in the U.S., you will most likely need to take the SAT or ACT exam. This is because most colleges require the SAT or ACT as part of the application. The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is administered by the College Board. It consists of four sections and an optional essay. The four sections cover: Reading, Writing and Language, Math (no calculator), and Math (calculator). Since the essay is listed as optional, you may be asking yourself, does the SAT essay matter?

That’s a really good question with an interesting and somewhat variable answer. We will look at everything you need to know about the SAT scoring overall, and provide more insight into the essay. After reading this, you should be able to make an informed decision for whether or not you should take the SAT essay or skip it.

Photo by  Ben Mullins  on  Unsplash

Sat subject scoring.

Before jumping into the essay specifically, let’s break down how the SAT is scored. Upon completion of the test, you can receive a score between 400 and 1600. Each topic is given a raw score. This is the number of questions that you answered correctly.

Then, the College Board performs a process called “equating” based on data. That gives you a score between 200 and 800 for the two general sections, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math. The College Board doesn’t provide much insight into how “equating” works.

SAT Essay Scoring

The SAT essay used to be required, whereas the ACT essay has always been optional. Recently, the College Board made the SAT essay optional, too.

Students are provided with 50 minutes to write an essay.

The new SAT essay asks students to analyze how the author built his or her argument.

Grading for the essay requires two readers who grant it a score between 2 and 8. Then, your final score is the average of their two grades.

The essay’s score is provided separately to your overall SAT score when it is sent to colleges.

Does The SAT Essay Matter?

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Should I skip the SAT essay entirely?”

The fact of the matter is that only about 10% of colleges still require it. But, keep in mind, this could change. It’s best practice to check with your school of choice directly before taking the SAT to see if they require it or not.

A good way to find out if your school requires the SAT essay is to google: “[school name] SAT requirement.” If the school you want to attend requires it, then it’s a no brainer — you must complete the essay.

Some people will suggest you take the essay anyways, in case you decide later to apply to a school that requires it. Also, it’s worthwhile to keep in mind that you cannot take just the essay portion separately. If you decide later that you will need it, you will have to take the whole exam again. That means you will have to pay again and dedicate three to four more hours of your time to complete the exam.

Pros of Taking the SAT Essay

There may be benefits of completing the essay portion of the SAT exam. If you decide to complete the essay, you will have:

1. Ensured that you can apply to any school

2. Potentially increased your application (even if schools may not require it, they may use the score as an indication of how well you can write)

Cons of Taking the SAT Essay

If you know for a fact that you won’t need the SAT essay, it may be worth skipping it. This is because:

1. It costs an additional $14 extra

2. It adds about an hour to the test which is already three hours

3. It will require more studying and exam preparation

Photo by  Kyle Gregory Devaras  on  Unsplash

How to prepare for the sat essay.

If you decide to take the SAT essay, then you should come prepared. The SAT essay presents you with a passage that is between 650 and 750 words. You’ll have to read, digest, and interpret the passage. Then you will be asked to analyze and explain how the author made his or her argument.

To prepare, you can consider performing the following:

1. Study sample passages and prompts

2. Conduct practices by writing responses and timing yourself for 50 minutes

3. Read op-ed pieces from published outlets to see how others write and structure arguments

4. Ask different people you trust to read and grade your practice essays

On the test day, be sure to do the following:

1. Read the prompt carefully

2. Allocate time to read the excerpt

3. Outline your response

4. Write clearly, concisely, and with as few errors as possible

5. Leave time for editing

Not All Colleges Require the SAT

While you may be considering whether or not to take the SAT essay section, you should know that some colleges don’t require the SAT at all. This is particularly true of many online universities .

At the University of the People, there are few requirements to enroll . The main two must-haves include: English proficiency and proof of high school completion.

There has been much debate about how hard and unequal the playing field is to be accepted into American universities. This is even true of the SAT and ACT as it is less of a test of intelligence and more of a test-taking skills test.

So, for some who can afford private tutoring and SAT courses, they may have an advantage over students who study alone.

As such, the University of the People believes in offering quality, tuition-free higher education to students from all around the world. It doesn’t matter how well you do or don’t do on standardized tests.

Instead, the utmost importance is that you have a will to learn.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that taking the SAT essay portion is a subjective decision. While it is optional, there are some schools that still require it (taking away its status as being optional).

If you are dead set on attending a certain school that does not require the essay portion, then you can save money and time by not taking it.

However, if you are unsure of where you may end up applying, it could be in your best interest to complete the essay. Before you sign up for the SAT, perform your research and be sure of your decision.

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, what is the sat a complete explanation of the test.

If you’re thinking of applying to college, it’s vital that you know what the SAT is and how it will affect your application process.

So what is the SAT? It’s one of two standardized college admissions tests in the US. (The other is the ACT .) It's run by the College Board , a non-profit that also administers the PSAT and the AP (Advanced Placement) program.

The SAT was originally adapted from an Army IQ test and administered as a college admissions test for the first time in 1926. However, it didn't really catch on until 1933, when the president of Harvard started using the test to assess scholarship applicants because he believed it was an effective measurement of intellectual potential . This view of the SAT helped propel its popularity— by the 1940s, it had become the standard test for all college applicants  and was administered to over 300,000 people across the country.

The SAT's dominance of college admissions testing was challenged with the creation of the ACT in 1959. Though initially much less popular than the SAT, the ACT took hold in the Midwest and the mountain states and, in 2010, actually surpassed the SAT to become the most popular college admissions test.

In part because of the increased competition from the ACT,  the SAT recently underwent some big changes in 2016 . The basic purpose and form of the test are the same (it’s still a multiple choice test used for college admissions decisions), but certain aspects of the structure and content have changed . Schools must have approved of these changes because, in 2018, the SAT reclaimed its title and once again became the most popular college admissions test.

This post will establish the basics of the SAT to help you prepare for this important test.

Why Do People Take the SAT?

The SAT is a standardized test meant to show schools how prepared you are for college by measuring key skills like reading comprehension, computational ability, and clarity of expression. Because so many students take the test, it also provides schools with data about how you compare to your peers nationwide.

You'll almost certainly need to take the SAT or ACT if you're applying to colleges or universities in the United States , since most require you to submit test scores with your application. Depending on where you want to apply, your ACT or SAT score can account for as much as 50% of the admission decision, so a strong standardized test score is vital.

Additionally, several states require all high school juniors to take the SAT , including Delaware, Illinois, and Michigan.

Which Schools Accept the SAT?

All four-year colleges in the US accept the SAT, and, as I mentioned above, most schools require either the SAT or the ACT (they don’t differentiate between the two). However, there are an increasing number of colleges and universities with more flexible policies , so make sure to check with the specific schools you're planning to apply to.

You’ll also need to take the SAT or ACT if you’re a US student looking to apply to schools in the UK or Canada or an international student hoping to attend college in the US.

What Does the SAT Cover?

The SAT has four  sections, as well an optional essay.  The first section will be Reading, followed by Writing and Language, then the no calculator section of Math, followed by the Math section you're allowed a calculator on. If you decide to take the SAT essay,  it'll be the final section of the exam. Most SAT questions are multiple choice , but five questions on Math No Calculator and eight questions on Math Calculator will be grid-ins .

When you take the SAT, you’ll get a 5-minute break after about every hour of testing. That means you’ll get a break after the Reading section and a second one after the Math No Calculator. If you’re taking the Essay section, you’ll also get a break before starting. The total time of the SAT is 3 hours if you don't take the essay, and 3 hours and 50 minutes if you do take the essay.

The following chart breaks down the format of the test. 

How Is the SAT Scored?

When you take the SAT, you'll be given a total score between 400 and 1600.  The SAT has two major sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (combined from Reading + Writing and Language), and Math. You can earn a scaled score of between 200 and 800 points on each section. But where does the scoring scale come from?

You start with a raw score for each topic area.  Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly;  skipped or wrong questions do not add or subtract from your raw score.That number is then converted into a scaled score through a process called equating —the College Board is a bit cagey about how exactly this works, but it's based on years worth of data rather than how people do on a specific test date.

The average SAT score is 1068,  with some variation from year to year, but what counts as a good score for you will really depend on where you’re looking to apply . To get into a top-tier school you'll likely need to score about 1500 or higher, but for the local branch of the state university you might be just fine with a 1050.

When Should You Take the SAT?

The ideal time to take the SAT for the first time is usually in winter of your junior year , when you’ve covered most of the material in school, but you still have time to take it again. Your testing schedule may be different, however, especially if you need SAT scores for another purpose or are required to take it by your school.

Everything You Need to Plan for the SAT

Hopefully you now understand what the SAT is and why you might need to take it. The hard part is still to come, however—preparing for the test. To help with that, I've listed some of the key questions you need to consider as you start planning for standardized tests and college applications more generally.

Should I Take the SAT or the ACT?

It's hard to know for sure which of the two standardized tests will be better for you without your trying them out . However, if you aren't up for spending the time to take two full practice tests, take a look at this guide to help you decide. Also, keep in mind that, for many students, there's not that big of a difference between the SAT and the ACT.

What SAT Score Do I Need to Get Into College?

To reiterate: what score you should shoot for depends on where you want to apply. Use the formula in this article to calculate your ideal SAT score .

What's the Best Way to Prepare for the SAT?

Now that you've calculated what your SAT score goal is, you need to decide how to get there. Will you do better  hiring a tutor or studying on your own ? You may also want to consider an online program like PrepScholar!

If you do decide to take on the SAT prep process on your own , make sure you get the best book for your needs . Taking official practice SATs is also key to understanding the exam and learning where you need to improve during your studying.

What Do I Need to Know to Prepare for the SAT?

There are three key aspects of prepping for the SAT: learning the logic of the test, studying the content, and practicing the questions.

To get a sense of how to think effectively about the SAT , download our guide to the 5 strategies that you must use .

For specific information on the  material covered and the styles of questions you'll see on the SAT , try our complete guides to each section: reading , math , and writing .

For practice materials, you can find the best SAT practice tests here and an in-depth guide on how to use these practice tests here .

What's Next?

Here are the best study guides for SAT Reading , SAT Writing , and SAT Math , available anywhere. I guarantee you that these guides will improve your score!

Want more guidance on SAT study plans? Get tips on how long you should study for the SAT and learn how many times you should take the SAT .

Taking the ACT instead of or in addition to the SAT? Then you'll benefit greatly by taking a look at our ultimate ACT guide . Like this guide, we give you tons of free links and resources so that you can have a successful test day!

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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The SAT is a standardized test administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization that runs other programs including the PSAT (Preliminary SAT), AP (Advanced Placement) and CLEP (College-Level Examination Project). The SAT along with the ACT are the primary entrance exams used by colleges and universities in the United States.

The SAT and the Problem of "Aptitude"

The letters SAT originally stood for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The idea of "aptitude," one's natural ability, was central to the exam's origins. The SAT was supposed to be an exam that tested one's abilities, not one's knowledge. As such, it was supposed to be an exam for which students could not study, and it would provide colleges with a useful tool for measuring and comparing the potential of students from different schools and backgrounds.

The reality, however, was that students could indeed prepare for the exam and that the test was measuring something other than aptitude. Not surprisingly, the College Board changed the name of the exam to the Scholastic Assessment Test, and later to the SAT Reasoning Test. Today the letters SAT stand for nothing at all. In fact, the evolution of the meaning of "SAT" highlights many of the problems associated with the exam: it's never been entirely clear what it is that the test measures.

The SAT competes with the ACT, the other widely used exam for college admissions in the United States. The ACT, unlike the SAT, has never focused on the idea of "aptitude." Instead, the ACT tests what students have learned in school. Historically, the tests have been different in meaningful ways, and students who do poorly on one might do better on the other. In recent years, the ACT surpassed the SAT as the most widely used college admissions entrance exam. In response to both its loss of market share and criticisms about the very substance of the exam, the SAT launched an entirely redesigned exam in the spring of 2016. If you were to compare the SAT to the ACT today, you'd find that the exams are much more similar than they had been historically.

What Is on the SAT?

The current SAT covers three required areas and the optional essay:

• Reading: Test-takers answer questions about passages they read. All questions are multiple choice and based on the passages. Some questions will also ask about tables, graphs, and charts, but no math is required to answer the questions. Total time for this section: 65 minutes.
• Writing and Language:  Test-takers read passages and then are asked to identify and fix mistakes and weaknesses in the language. Total time for this section: 35 minutes.
• Mathematics:  Test-takers answer questions related to the types of math you're likely to encounter in college and your personal life. Topics include algebra, data analysis, working with complex equations, and some basics of trigonometry and geometry. Some questions allow the use of a calculator; some do not. Total time for this section: 80 minutes.
• Optional Essay:  The optional essay exam asks you to read a passage and then make an argument based on that passage. You'll need to support your argument with evidence from the passage. Total time for this section: 50 minutes.

Unlike the ACT, the SAT does not have a section focused on science.

How Much Time Does the Exam Take?

The SAT exam takes a total of 3 hours without the optional essay. There are 154 questions, so you'll have 1 minute and 10 seconds per question (by comparison, the ACT has 215 questions and you'll have 49 seconds per question). With the essay, the SAT takes 3 hours and 50 minutes.

How Is the SAT Scored?

Prior to March, 2016, the exam was scored out of 2400 points: 200-800 points for Critical Reading, 200-800 points for Mathematics, and 200-800 points for Writing. An average score had been roughly 500 points per subject area for a total of 1500.

With the redesign of the exam in 2016, the Writing section is now optional, and the exam is scored out of 1600 points (as it had been back before the Writing section had become a required component of the exam). You can earn 200 to 800 points for the Reading/Writing section of the exam, and 800 points for the Math section. A perfect score on the current exam is a 1600, and you'll find that most successful applicants to the country's most selective colleges and universities have scores in the 1400 to 1600 range.

When Is the SAT Offered?

The SAT is currently administered seven times a year: March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. If you're wondering when to take the SAT , the August, October, May, and June dates are the most popular — many students take the exam once in the spring of junior year, and then again in August or October of senior year. For seniors, the October date is often the last exam that will be accepted for early decision and early action applications. Be sure to plan ahead and check SAT test dates and registration deadlines . 

Note that prior to the 2017-18 admissions cycle, the SAT was not offered in August, and there was a January test date. The change was a good one: August gives seniors an attractive option, and January wasn't a popular date for juniors or seniors.

Do You Need to Take the SAT?

No. Nearly all colleges will accept the ACT instead of the SAT. Also, many colleges recognize that a high-pressure timed exam is not the best measure of an applicant's potential. In truth, studies of the SAT have shown that the exam predicts a student's family income far more accurately than it predicts his or her future college success. Over 850 colleges now have test-optional admissions , and the list keeps growing.

Just keep in mind that schools that don't use the SAT or ACT for admissions purposes may still use the exams for awarding scholarships. Athletes should also check NCAA requirements for standardized test scores. 

How Much Does the SAT Really Matter?

For the test-optional colleges mentioned above, the exam should not play any role in the admissions decision if you choose not to submit scores. For other schools, you're likely to find that many of the country's most selective colleges downplay the importance of standardized tests. Such schools have holistic admissions and work to evaluate the whole applicant, not just numerical data. Essays , letters of recommendation, interviews , and most importantly, good grades in challenging courses are all pieces of the admissions equation.

That said, SAT and ACT scores get reported to the Department of Education, and they are frequently used as a measure for rankings such as those published by U.S. News & World Report . Higher average SAT and ACT scores equate with higher rankings for a school and more prestige. The reality is that high SAT scores greatly increase your chances of admission to highly selective colleges and universities. Can you get in with low SAT scores? Perhaps, but the odds are against you. The score ranges below for enrolled students illustrate the point:

Sample SAT Scores for Top Colleges  (mid 50%)

On the plus side, you clearly don't need perfect 800s to get into painfully selective universities such as Harvard and Stanford. On the other hand, you are also unlikely to get in with scores significantly lower than those listed in the 25th percentile columns above.

A Final Word:

The SAT is constantly evolving, and the test you will take is quite different from the one your parents took, and the current exam has little in common with the pre 2016 exam. For good or bad, the SAT (and ACT) remains a significant piece of the college admissions equation for the majority of non-profit four-year colleges. If your dream school has selective admissions, you'd be well advised to take the test seriously. Spending some time with a study guide and practice tests can help make you familiar with the exam and more prepared come test day.

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• 10 Differences Between the SAT and ACT Exams
• What's a Good SAT Subject Test Score?
• The Redesigned SAT
• Converting ACT Scores to SAT Scores
• Are Your SAT Scores Good Enough?
• Should My Homeschooler Take the SAT or ACT?
• Should You Take the SAT Optional Essay Exam?
• When and How Many Times Should You Take the SAT?
• T.E.S.T. Season for Grades 7-12
• What's a Good ACT Writing Score?
• Redesigned SAT Test Format
• SAT Scores for Admission to 30 Top Liberal Arts Colleges
• Good ACT Scores for College Admission
• Washington College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics
• Are SAT Prep Courses Worth the Cost?