SAT Writing Section Format
There are three SAT writing sections--one is the Essay and two are multiple choice.
SAT Essay Section
For the SAT Essay section, you will have 25 minutes to write about a given topic. The Essay section doesn't require you to have a vast knowledge on any specific subject; rather it tests you on your grasp of English language conventions and your ability to develop a point of view supported by evidence based on reading, experience, and studies.
Here's an example from the official SAT website:
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:
A sense of happiness and fulfillment, not personal gain, is the best motivation and reward for one's achievements. Expecting a reward of wealth or recognition for achieving a goal can lead to disappointment and frustration. If we want to be happy in what we do in life, we should not seek achievement for the sake of winning wealth and fame. The personal satisfaction of a job well done is its own reward.
Assignment: Are people motivated to achieve by personal satisfaction rather than by money or fame? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
You can see the prompt is a very general topic that all students can write about.
SAT Writing Multiple Choice
In addition to the Essay, SAT Writing has two multiple choice sections with identifying sentence errors, improving sentences, and improving paragraphs. For identifying sentence errors, you will be given a sentence and have to decide if there are any mistakes that deviate from standard English. There are five answer choices where four are possible mistakes and one is for no mistakes.
For improving sentences and paragraphs, you'll be given a sentence or paragraph and answer choices that propose different wordings or sentence order that would make the sentence or paragraph more readable.
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Tips to Improve SAT Critical Score
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