How Long is the SAT?

Timing is everything when you’re prepping for the SAT. Getting high scores on practice tests means almost nothing if you aren’t replicating the same time restrictions you’ll see on test day. Half the battle of SAT prep is learning how to answer questions quickly and efficiently, not just correctly.

So… how long is the SAT?

The SAT is roughly as long as 3 episodes of Survivor, 2 episodes of 90 Day Fiancé, or one painfully long season finale of The Bachelor. If you have yet to fall victim to reality television (good for you!), that means the SAT is about 3 hours long. Let’s look at how the SAT breaks up its sections:

You might be wondering where the essay section falls into that schedule, but the essay section was actually removed from the SAT after June 2021.

You can expect to have two breaks on test day: one after the reading comprehension section and another after math (without a calculator). Use this time to get up, stretch, or grab a snack to soothe your testing munchies. Even though you only have one section of the test left after your second break, do not take those 5 minutes for granted! Afterward, you are on to nearly an hour of tricky calculations, and your brain will thank you for taking advantage of those few minutes of rest.

How long should I spend on each question on the SAT?

It’s important to note how much time you’ll have per question by section because it isn’t universal across the whole test. Some questions will naturally take longer than others based on their difficulty, but here’s how much time you have (roughly) for the questions on each section:

• Remember that the reading comprehension section doesn’t offer additional time to read passages. The longer you take to read a passage, the less time you’ll have to answer questions. If you struggle with reading quickly, try learning to speed read.

• The writing & language section allots 48 seconds per question to analyze the writing of other authors, not for you to actually write anything yourself (the essay section is dead, remember?). That doesn’t mean this section is a breeze, though. The errors the SAT is asking you to find in these questions are rarely obvious, and it will take some good practice to finish this section quickly.

• You may notice that the math section is broken into two parts, but, like Gwen Stefani eloquently said, “don’t get it twisted”; once the first portion of the math section is over, you cannot go back to it during the second portion. Don’t view the math sections as one portion of the test with a break in the middle; these are two strictly separate sections of the test. SAT math is broken up by questions you may use a calculator for and questions you cannot.

Pacing is crucial when you’re taking the SAT, and you have to consider your test habits when thinking about how long you have to answer each question on the test.

Do you like having enough time at the end to double-check all of your answers?

Do you find yourself needing to reread questions to best understand them?

Do you spend more time than you should making sure your bubbles are filled in perfectly?

Maybe reconsider that last one, but you should make it a point to acknowledge how much time your test-quirks are taking away from your overall time limit.

Kickstart Your SAT Prep with Test Geek’s Free SAT Study Guide.

How you can prepare yourself for the pressure of the SAT time limit

1. Take fewer untimed practice tests.

Even though it is productive to familiarize yourself with the material before introducing an additional hurdle, practicing too much without a time limit can actually hurt your test prep strategy. If you become used to having ample time to answer each question, you’ll likely leave many questions unanswered on test day. Remember: the SAT isn’t just about answering questions correctly, but your ability to do it efficiently.

2. Figure out how much time you need to fulfill your test quirks.

Before your big test day, it’s important to know how much time you personally have to answer each section’s questions. Everyone has 75 seconds per question on the reading section, but if you’re a slow reader, or want to go through your answers again at the end of the test section, you’re potentially shaving off valuable seconds per question. Recognize your test habits, and break any unnecessary ones if you can (looking at you, perfect-bubble-fillers).

3. Replicate your test-day conditions as best as you can when practicing.

So you’re taking timed practice tests? Great! But are you taking the whole test? Timing yourself per section is good practice, but you should also see how you perform doing one section after the next to see how your test stamina is. Also, your SAT is most likely on a Saturday morning, so try a practice test first thing on the weekend rather than a weeknight, it’s pretty surprising how much this can change up your test’s vibe.

4. Don’t always practice with a visible timer.

Once you’ve had some good practice with the time constraints, practice without having a stopwatch or clock in front of you. You’re not permitted to bring timing devices with you to the test (aside from a wrist watch – no smart watches), and although proctors are meant to give you a 5-minute warning in each section, you can’t always depend on them. Being able to complete sections on time without actually knowing the time will give you a leg up when it comes time for the real deal.

5. Resist the urge to change your entire lifestyle before exam day.

At the end of the day, the best way to prepare your body and mind for a long day of testing is to treat it like any other day. Aim to get a good night’s rest, eat a filling breakfast, and get to the testing center on time to avoid any additional stress. If you don’t normally drink caffeine, chugging a Red Bull before you leave isn’t going to magically make you a better test taker. The morning of test day also isn’t the best day to start the juice cleanse you’ve been thinking of, or day 1 of your marathon training. The best way to prepare your body’s test stamina is to approach the day like normal.

How to save time on the SAT

Sometimes practicing with a time constraint still isn’t enough to trump that test-day anxiety. Don’t worry. If you find yourself falling behind on your test, consider these tips to help you get back on track:

1. Slow reader? Don’t read the whole passage.

The SAT isn’t testing how fast you can read information, it’s testing how you’re able to analyze that information. Some people just don’t read quickly, but that doesn’t mean you’re destined to fail the SAT. For questions that reference a passage, try looking at the questions first, so you know exactly what information you’re trying to find – this makes skimming the words more effective.

2. Numbers getting to you? Don’t make it more complicated than it is.

It’s natural to read a math question and immediately start to think about how to solve the problem. With the SAT, however, this can be a huge time waste. Make sure you understand what the question wants you to figure out before you go pulling out the calculator. It’s not uncommon for an SAT math question to ask you to interpret what a number in an equation means, rather than actually solving that equation.

3. Stop flirting with the clock.

It’s natural to want to check in with the clock often to see how much time you have left, but this may hurt you more than it will help you. The SAT start time isn’t going to be perfect on the hour, and trying to do the math to figure out how much time has passed since the section started will take valuable time away from answering questions, and probably won’t even make you feel any better about your pace.

4. Skip past the questions you don’t know (go back to them later).

So you’re zooming through the test, thanking yourself for all the studying you did, and then you see it – a trigonometry question. You’re stumped, growing in frustration, and before you know it, have spent 2 minutes repeating “soh-cah-toa” in your head. Skip these questions! Very rarely is staring at a question long enough going to make the answer pop into your head. The time you have in these sections is valuable, so answer all of the questions you’re familiar with first, then go back to the ones that you’re less confident on.

Test time accommodations – what you need to know

Although the SAT is designed to be relatively challenging, it is also meant to be accessible for all students who choose to take it. That being said, if you believe you need accommodations made to have more time for your test, you can apply for an extension.

This is not, however, a get-out-of-jail-free card to having an easier SAT experience. Eligibility for time extensions are reserved only for students who have a documented disability that causes them to work more slowly than other students. If you normally take school tests in the time allotted by your teacher or proctor, it’s likely you will not qualify for this accommodation.

Additional time is dependent on a student’s need, and will not be the same for all who request a time accommodation. Processing requests takes time, so be sure to check when your request needs to be filed for your chosen SAT date.

For more information on SAT time accommodations, who qualifies, and how to request an accommodation, visit College Board.

The SAT is changing

If you thought losing the SAT essay portion was crazy, you might want to sit down for this one. In 2024, the SAT will be entirely online. Though most of the test will remain the same, the length and format are expected to change.

After having to cancel multiple test dates due to Covid-19, it was evident that moving to an online platform would offer more flexibility to students. With the changes to the test, the SAT will be almost an hour shorter in length and have fewer questions in some section. To learn more about the changes to the SAT and if they will affect your test day, read more here.

Conclusion

Even though everyone has the same amount of time to complete the SAT, not everyone will use that time the same way. The best way to prepare for the time element of the SAT is to figure out how you perform under that pressure, and what you need to practice now to be more ready on test day.