SAT study plan: a schedule built from the digital SAT's official content domains
Updated November 2026
An SAT study plan should follow how College Board builds the digital SAT: two sections, Reading and Writing (54 questions in 64 minutes) and Math (44 questions in 70 minutes), with a 10-minute break between them. Each section is split into two modules, and the second module is harder or easier depending on how you did on the first. Each section is scored 200 to 800, and your total score (400 to 1600) is their sum.
College Board publishes the approximate share of questions in each of the eight content domains. In Math, Algebra and Advanced Math are about 35% each, and Problem-Solving and Data Analysis and Geometry and Trigonometry about 15% each. In Reading and Writing, Craft and Structure is about 28%, Information and Ideas and Standard English Conventions about 26% each, and Expression of Ideas about 20%.
The builder below gives each section half of your topic days, splits them by those domain shares, and alternates domains day by day so both sections stay in rotation. The last quarter of your days goes to mixed practice and full-length practice tests in College Board's free Bluebook app. It's free and needs no account.
Build your SAT study schedule
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SAT format at a glance
| Sections | Reading and Writing: 54 questions, 64 min (two 32-min modules) · Math: 44 questions, 70 min (two 35-min modules) | College Board |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 2 hours 14 minutes of testing, plus a 10-minute break between the sections | College Board |
| Scores | 200–800 per section; total 400–1600, the sum of the two section scores | College Board scores |
| Unscored questions | 2 pretest questions in each module (8 of the 98), not marked | College Board specs |
| Calculator | Built-in Desmos calculator for the whole Math section | College Board framework |
| Fee | $68 in the U.S.; $68 plus a $43 international fee elsewhere (fees through June 2027) | College Board fees |
| 2026–27 SAT Weekend dates | Oct 3, Nov 7 and Dec 5, 2026; Mar 6, May 1 and Jun 5, 2027 | College Board dates |
Checked against the official sources on November 1, 2026.
What the SAT covers, by official weight
- Information and Ideas: 13% (≈26% of Reading and Writing, 12–14 questions). Central ideas and details, command of evidence (textual and quantitative), inferences.
- Craft and Structure: 14% (≈28% of Reading and Writing, 13–15 questions). Words in context, text structure and purpose, cross-text connections.
- Expression of Ideas: 10% (≈20% of Reading and Writing, 8–12 questions). Rhetorical synthesis and transitions.
- Standard English Conventions: 13% (≈26% of Reading and Writing, 11–15 questions). Boundaries; form, structure, and sense.
- Algebra: 17.5% (≈35% of Math, 13–15 questions). Linear equations, linear functions, systems of two linear equations, linear inequalities.
- Advanced Math: 17.5% (≈35% of Math, 13–15 questions). Equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations and functions.
- Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: 7.5% (≈15% of Math, 5–7 questions). Ratios, rates, percentages, one- and two-variable data, probability, inference from samples.
- Geometry and Trigonometry: 7.5% (≈15% of Math, 5–7 questions). Area and volume; lines, angles, and triangles; right triangles and trigonometry; circles.
College Board publishes these approximate shares, with question ranges, in its SAT test specifications; the ranges count scored questions only (each module also has 2 unscored pretest questions). The whole-test percentages are our arithmetic: each section is half of your total score, so each domain's share of its section is halved.
How the builder splits your time
- It counts your study days between today and the day before the exam, using the days a week you chose.
- It keeps the last quarter of those days (at least one week) for mixed practice questions and reviewing what you missed.
- It splits the rest across the eight content domains, alternating them day by day in proportion to the official weights above, using half of your topic days for each section (each section is half the total score), split by College Board's approximate share of questions for each domain.
- This is our rule of thumb, not advice from College Board. Move days toward your weak areas once your practice scores show them.
Protect each block from your own browser
A schedule only works if the hours happen. Focus AI is a Chrome extension built for that: when a block starts, type its task (the "Copy focus task" button gives you the line, like "SAT: Information and Ideas practice questions") and it blocks pages that don't serve that task. Bluebook, the Student Question Bank and Official SAT Prep on Khan Academy stay open; feeds, Shorts and game sites don't. Ending a block early means typing a sentence, not clicking a button.
First 3 sessions free, then $9.99 a month or $49 a year. The schedule builder above is free either way.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the SAT?
2 hours 14 minutes of testing: 64 minutes for Reading and Writing (two 32-minute modules) and 70 minutes for Math (two 35-minute modules), with a 10-minute break between the sections. There are 98 questions: 54 in Reading and Writing and 44 in Math.
How is the SAT scored?
Reading and Writing and Math are each scored 200 to 800, and the total score (400 to 1600) is their sum, so each section is half of your score. Each module includes 2 unscored pretest questions that look the same as the scored ones.
How often should I take an SAT practice test?
College Board recommends spacing practice tests at least two weeks apart if your schedule allows, and taking one at least two weeks before test day so you can use the remaining time on what it shows. Its full-length practice tests in the Bluebook app are free and scored.
How much does the SAT cost?
The registration fee is $68 in the U.S. Outside the U.S. it's $68 plus a $43 international fee. Eligible low-income 11th and 12th graders in the U.S. or U.S. territories can get fee waivers, which cover two SAT tests.
What changed on the SAT for 2026–27?
The changes College Board lists for 2026–27 don't touch the sections, timing or scoring. They include Waitlist for U.S. test takers (automatic placement when a seat opens nearby), a resizable calculator in Bluebook's Math section, and, from the August 2026 SAT Weekend, Bluebook requiring Windows 11 and verified mode on Chromebooks.
Sources
- College Board, How the SAT is structured (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, Reading and Writing specifications (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, Math specifications (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite, version 4 (PDF) (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, What do my SAT Suite scores mean? (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, SAT test fees (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, SAT international fees (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, SAT Suite dates and deadlines (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, Changes for 2026-27 testing (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, Build your SAT Suite study plan (checked November 1, 2026)
- College Board, SAT Suite practice (checked November 1, 2026)
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Type the block's task, pick a length, and everything that doesn't serve it stays shut until the timer ends.
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