SAT practice questions with answers

Below are 16 free digital SAT practice questions, two from each of the test's eight content domains: eight Reading and Writing and eight Math. Each one is checked instantly with an explanation and a link to the strategy guide for that question type. Finish the set and you'll see which domain to study first. No account needed.

The real SAT has 98 questions: 54 in Reading and Writing (64 minutes) and 44 in Math (70 minutes), each in two adaptive modules (College Board, checked October 29, 2026). The clock below uses that pace.

Try 16 SAT practice questions

Two questions from each of the SAT's eight content domains. Check each answer to see why it's right. Aim for 22:13, real-test pace; the clock starts with your first answer.

0 of 16 checkedPace: 22:13

Reading and Writing

Craft and Structure

Question 1 · Words in context

Marine biologist Ayana Okafor's survey of the reef was deliberately ______: rather than sampling a few sites, her team photographed every square meter of the 2-kilometer stretch in each of three seasons. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word?

AcursoryBexhaustiveCspeculativeDimprovised

Question 2 · Text structure and purpose

Many people assume that desert plants survive by storing large amounts of water. Some do. The creosote bush, however, stores very little. Its small, waxy leaves lose water slowly, and its shallow roots spread widely to catch brief rains. Its survival depends less on saving water than on wasting almost none. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

AIt compares two desert plants and argues that one is better adapted than the other.BIt describes an experiment on desert plants and then reports its results.CIt presents a common assumption and then describes a plant that survives in a different way.DIt lists several ways that desert plants store water.

Information and Ideas

Question 3 · Central ideas and details

For decades, local historians described the 1890s textile mill in the town of Millbrook as the work of its founder, Thomas Hale, alone. But recently digitized letters show that the mill's design, its water-power system and its first supply contracts were all worked out by his sister, Clara Hale, whose name appears in none of the official records. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

AThe Millbrook mill's water-power system was unusually advanced for the 1890s.BNewly available letters suggest that Clara Hale played a central role in creating a mill that official records credit to her brother.CLocal historians have lost interest in the history of the Millbrook mill.DClara Hale and Thomas Hale disagreed about the mill's first supply contracts.

Question 4 · Command of evidence: quantitative

Average nightly sleep reported by students at one high school Grade 9: 7.8 hours Grade 10: 7.4 hours Grade 11: 7.0 hours Grade 12: 6.7 hours A student writing a report claims that, at this school, average nightly sleep goes down in every grade from 9 to 12. Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the claim?

AGrade 12 students reported an average of 6.7 hours of sleep a night.BGrade 9 students reported more than 7 hours of sleep a night on average.CAverage sleep falls from 7.8 hours in grade 9 to 7.4 in grade 10, 7.0 in grade 11 and 6.7 in grade 12.DStudents in grades 10 and 11 differed in average sleep by 0.4 hours.

Standard English Conventions

Question 5 · Boundaries

The museum's new wing holds more than 300 works by local ______ have never been exhibited before. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Aartists, most of themBartists; most of themCartists most of themDartists, and, most of them

Question 6 · Form, structure, and sense

The collection of handwritten recipes that the library received from three local families ______ now available to researchers. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

AareBwereChave beenDis

Expression of Ideas

Question 7 · Transitions

Some of the earliest electric cars could travel only about 30 miles on a single charge. ______ many of today's models can travel more than 250 miles before they need to be recharged. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

ASimilarly,BFor example,CAs a result,DBy contrast,

Question 8 · Rhetorical synthesis

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth. • Some weather stations there have recorded almost no rain for years at a time. • Astronomers have built several large telescopes in the Atacama. • Dry, clear air lets telescopes capture sharper images of space. The student wants to explain why astronomers build telescopes in the Atacama Desert. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

AThe Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth, and some weather stations there have recorded almost no rain for years.BAstronomers build telescopes in the Atacama Desert because its dry, clear air lets telescopes capture sharper images of space.CTelescopes capture images of space, and several large ones are in Chile.DSome weather stations in the Atacama Desert have recorded almost no rain for years at a time, which is unusual.

Math

Algebra

Question 9 · Linear equations in one variable · student-produced response

A tutoring center charges a one-time registration fee of $40 plus $30 for each session. A family has paid the center $310 in total. How many sessions has the family paid for?

Your answer (a number, decimal or fraction, like 7, 2.5 or 3/2)

Question 10 · Systems of linear equations

2x + y = 11 x − y = 1 The solution to the system of equations above is (x, y). What is the value of y?

A1B3C4D7

Advanced Math

Question 11 · Equivalent expressions

Which expression is equivalent to (2x − 5)(x + 3)?

A2x² − 15B2x² − x − 15C2x² + x − 15D2x² + 11x − 15

Question 12 · Nonlinear functions

The population of a town t years after 2020 is modeled by P(t) = 48,000(1.03)ᵗ. Which statement is the best interpretation of 1.03 in this context?

AThe population increases by 3% each year.BThe population increases by 1.03 people each year.CThe population increases by 103% each year.DThe population in 2020 was 1.03 thousand.

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis

Question 13 · Percentages · student-produced response

The price of a jacket was reduced from $80 to $62. By what percent was the price reduced? (Enter your answer without the percent sign.)

Your answer (a number, decimal or fraction, like 7, 2.5 or 3/2)

Question 14 · Probability

In a survey of 200 students, 120 play a sport. Of the students who play a sport, 45 are in the band. Of the students who don't play a sport, 30 are in the band. If one student in the band is chosen at random, what is the probability that the student plays a sport?

A45/200B3/8C45/120D3/5

Geometry and Trigonometry

Question 15 · Right triangles and trigonometry

In right triangle PQR, angle R is a right angle, and sin P = 5/13. What is the value of cos P?

A5/12B12/13C13/12D12/5

Question 16 · Circles · student-produced response

A circle in the xy-plane has the equation (x − 3)² + (y + 2)² = 49. What is the radius of the circle?

Your answer (a number, decimal or fraction, like 7, 2.5 or 3/2)

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What kinds of questions are on the SAT?

The SAT tests eight content domains: four in Reading and Writing and four in Math. Algebra and Advanced Math together make up about 70% of Math, and the four Reading and Writing domains are close to even. The questions above follow the same split, two per domain. Here's how College Board weights them on a full test:

Domain shares from College Board's Reading and Writing and Math specifications (checked October 29, 2026). Shares are of the 50 scored Reading and Writing and 40 scored Math questions; counts are our rounding.

Domain	Section	Share	Scored questions	Skills tested
Craft and Structure	Reading and Writing	≈28%	about 14	Words in context, text structure and purpose, cross-text connections
Information and Ideas	Reading and Writing	≈26%	about 13	Central ideas and details, command of evidence (textual and quantitative), inferences
Standard English Conventions	Reading and Writing	≈26%	about 13	Boundaries (punctuation between clauses); form, structure and sense (agreement, tense, pronouns)
Expression of Ideas	Reading and Writing	≈20%	about 10	Transitions, rhetorical synthesis (using notes to meet a goal)
Algebra	Math	≈35%	about 14	Linear equations and functions, systems of two linear equations, linear inequalities
Advanced Math	Math	≈35%	about 14	Equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations and systems, quadratic and exponential functions
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis	Math	≈15%	about 6	Ratios, rates, percentages, data and scatterplots, probability, sample statistics
Geometry and Trigonometry	Math	≈15%	about 6	Area and volume, lines and triangles, right triangle trigonometry, circles

Every Reading and Writing question has its own passage of 25 to 150 words, drawn from literature, history and social studies, the humanities and science (College Board). Some include a table or graph. You never need outside knowledge: the answer is always supported by the text. In Math, about 30% of questions are set in a real-world context, and the rest are pure math.

How is the SAT structured?

Each section has two modules. Your results on the first module decide whether the second module is easier or harder, so first-module accuracy matters most. Within each module, questions are grouped by skill and roughly ordered from easiest to hardest.

Official digital SAT format (College Board test structure, checked October 29, 2026).

	Reading and Writing	Math
Questions	54 (2 modules of 27)	44 (2 modules of 22)
Unscored pretest questions	2 per module	2 per module
Time	64 min (32 per module)	70 min (35 per module)
Time per question	About 71 seconds	About 95 seconds
Answer formats	Multiple choice, one question per passage	Multiple choice and student-produced response
Calculator	Not allowed	Allowed on every question (built-in Desmos)
Score	200–800	200–800

There's a 10-minute break between the sections, and the total score runs from 400 to 1600. Wrong answers cost nothing (College Board), so never leave a question blank. For student-produced response questions, you type your answer instead of choosing it: fractions and decimals are both fine, but don't type units, percent signs or commas.

How do you answer each SAT question type?

In Reading and Writing, the right answer is always the one the passage proves. In Math, the fastest route is usually to set up the equation in words first, then solve or graph it. Here's the method for each question type in the set above:

Question type	What it asks	How to approach it
Words in context	The most precise word for a blank	Find the clue (often after a colon or "although"), predict your own word, then match it.
Text structure and purpose	What the text or one sentence does	Label each sentence's job in a few words, then pick the choice with the same sequence.
Central ideas	The main point	Choose the answer that covers the whole text, not one detail.
Command of evidence	Which quote or data supports a claim	Reread the exact claim. Several choices are true; only one proves that claim.
Boundaries	Punctuation between clauses	Check whether each side is a complete sentence before choosing a comma, semicolon or period.
Form, structure and sense	Agreement, tense, pronouns	Cross out the words between subject and verb, then match them.
Transitions	The logical link between sentences	Name the relationship (contrast, cause, example) before reading the choices.
Rhetorical synthesis	Which sentence uses notes to meet a goal	Read the goal first and check only whether each choice meets it.
Linear equations	Solve or model a straight-line relationship	Find the fixed amount and the rate per unit, write the equation, then solve.
Systems of equations	Where two equations agree	Add or subtract to cancel a variable, or graph both lines in Desmos. Answer the variable asked for.
Equivalent expressions	Which expression matches	Expand carefully, or plug in a number like x = 1 and compare.
Nonlinear functions	Interpret or evaluate quadratic and exponential models	For a(b)ᵗ, a is the start and b the factor per period: 1.03 is 3% growth, 0.9 is 10% decay.
Percentages	Percent change, part of a whole	Divide the change by the original amount, not the new one.
Probability	Chance of an outcome, often from a table	The phrase "chosen from" names the denominator; find that group first.
Right triangle trigonometry	Sine, cosine, tangent, missing sides	Draw the triangle, label opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse, and use 5-12-13 and 3-4-5 triples.
Circles	Radius, center, arcs, equations	In (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r², the right side is r², so take the square root for the radius.

What traps do SAT questions use?

Most wrong answers on the SAT are built from a few predictable mistakes. If you learn to spot them, you'll pick up points in every module. Each of the 16 questions above uses at least one of these:

True but irrelevant. In command-of-evidence questions, several choices are accurate statements about the data, but only one supports the specific claim (question 4).
One detail instead of the whole. Main-idea traps describe one sentence of the passage correctly (question 3).
The nearest noun. A plural noun between the subject and verb tempts you into the wrong verb form (question 6).
A comma doing a period's job. Two complete sentences joined by just a comma is the single most common grammar error on the test (question 5).
Answering the wrong variable. The system gives x first, and x is a choice, but the question asks for y (question 10).
The wrong base. Percent change divides by the original value, and probability from a table divides by the group named after "chosen from" (questions 13 and 14).
Stopping one step early. The circle equation shows r², not r, and the right triangle needs its third side before you can find cosine (questions 15 and 16).

On test day, when two choices both look right, go back to the exact words of the question: the claim, the goal, the variable asked for. The trap answer usually answers a slightly different question.

How should you practice with SAT questions?

Use a short mixed set like this one to find your weakest domain, drill that domain daily, and take a full-length timed test every two to three weeks to measure progress. Reviewing why you missed a question helps more than answering more questions: for each miss, write down which trap caught you.

If your weakest domain is	What to do next	Free practice on our site
Standard English Conventions	Learn the boundary rules, then 15–20 grammar questions a day	SAT grammar practice
Craft and Structure	Words in context and vocabulary in sentences	SAT vocabulary practice
Information and Ideas	Short passages with evidence and inference questions	SAT reading passage practice
Expression of Ideas	Transitions and rhetorical synthesis	SAT Reading and Writing practice
Algebra or Advanced Math	Daily mixed sets; learn the Desmos moves for systems and quadratics	SAT Math practice and the Desmos guide
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis or Geometry	Formula review, then timed sets	SAT math formulas and SAT Math practice
None (a high score)	Hard second-module questions	The hardest SAT Math questions

When you're ready to see a score, take a free full-length digital SAT practice test in two timed modules per section, then convert your results with the SAT score calculator. If you've already taken the SAT, the Knowledge and Skills section of your score report shows your performance by domain; how to read your SAT score report explains it.

Guides to every SAT question type

Each guide covers one SAT question type: what it asks, a step-by-step method, the usual traps and worked examples. They're grouped by the domains in the table above.

Reading and Writing

Craft and Structure

Information and Ideas

Standard English Conventions

Expression of Ideas

All Reading and Writing question types on one page →

Math

Algebra

Advanced Math

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis

Geometry and Trigonometry

All Math question types on one page →

Frequently asked questions

This page has 16 free digital SAT practice questions with answers and explanations, two from each of the eight content domains, and no account is needed. For a full-length test, take a free digital SAT practice test on Test Ninjas, and use College Board's official practice tests in the Bluebook app.

The digital SAT has 98 questions: 54 in Reading and Writing (64 minutes) and 44 in Math (70 minutes). Each section is split into two modules, and each module includes 2 unscored pretest questions, so 50 Reading and Writing and 40 Math questions count toward your score.

Reading and Writing questions each come with a short passage of 25 to 150 words and test four domains: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions and Expression of Ideas. Math tests Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry and Trigonometry, with multiple-choice and student-produced response questions.

They're written by Test Ninjas in the style of the digital SAT, using College Board's domains, skills and question formats, with one question per short passage in Reading and Writing. They aren't official SAT questions. For official questions, use the practice tests in College Board's Bluebook app.

About 71 seconds per Reading and Writing question (64 minutes for 54 questions) and about 95 seconds per Math question (70 minutes for 44 questions). The drill on this page uses that pace for its clock.

Yes. A calculator is allowed on every SAT Math question, and the Bluebook app has a built-in Desmos graphing and scientific calculator. You can also bring an approved calculator. Calculators aren't allowed in Reading and Writing.

No. Every question is scored right or wrong with no penalty for guessing, so answer every question before a module's time runs out, even if you have to guess.

No. A short set is too small to estimate a scaled score, and the real test adapts its second module to how you did on the first. Use these questions to learn the question types and find a weak domain, then take a full-length practice test for a score estimate.

Official sources

Checked October 29, 2026:

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