Free SAT study guides.
Understand the rule, work through an example, then practise it. Choose a topic below or follow the daily course. All 35 guides are available without signing in.
Math
Area and Volume
Choose a formula by the shape and the requested measurement. Areas have square units, while volumes have cubic units. A perpendicular height may differ from a slanted edge.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeCircle Equations and Measurements
Connect a circle’s graph, equation and measurements. In (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r², the center is (h, k), and r is the radius.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeEquivalent Expressions
Equivalent expressions have the same value for every allowed input. Expansion, factoring and exponent rules can change the form while preserving that value.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeExponential Functions
Exponential change multiplies by the same factor during equal time intervals. Growth by r as a decimal uses factor 1 + r; decay uses factor 1 − r.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeGeometric Properties & Trigonometry
This covers area, perimeter, volume, angle relationships, triangle properties, circles, and basic trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent).
Rules · Study tips · PracticeLinear Equations and Inequalities
These problems involve equations and inequalities with one or more variables, often requiring you to solve, graph, or interpret them in context.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeLinear Equations in One Variable
Linear equations in one variable involve finding the value of a single unknown. These are foundational SAT math problems, often embedded in word problem contexts.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeLinear Functions and Slope
A linear model combines a constant rate of change with an initial value. In y = mx + b, m is the change in y per unit of x, while b is the value when x is zero.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeLinear Inequalities
Solve an inequality with the same balancing steps as an equation, while keeping track of which values satisfy the comparison. Multiplying or dividing by a negative reverses the inequality sign.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeNonlinear Functions & Quadratic Equations
This topic covers parabolas, exponential functions, and other nonlinear relationships. You must be able to interpret graphs, identify key features, and solve related equations.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeOne-Variable Data: Mean, Median and Spread
Summarize one set of measurements using a center and a measure of spread. Mean uses every value; median is the middle of the ordered data.
Rules · Study tips · PracticePercents and Percent Change
A percent is a proportion of a specific base. Identify that base before calculating discounts, increases, decreases or comparisons.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeProbability
For equally likely outcomes, probability is favorable outcomes divided by all possible outcomes. In a conditional question, the condition determines the denominator.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeQuadratic Equations
Quadratic equations have the form ax² + bx + c = 0 and can have 0, 1, or 2 real solutions. The SAT tests factoring, the quadratic formula, and interpreting the discriminant.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeRatios and Unit Conversions
A ratio compares quantities; a conversion factor changes units without changing the underlying amount. Label quantities so you know which terms correspond.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeRight Triangles and Trigonometry
Use the Pythagorean theorem for side lengths and trigonometric ratios for a specified acute angle. The opposite and adjacent sides depend on which angle you choose.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeSimilar Triangles
Similar triangles have equal corresponding angles and proportional corresponding sides. Match the vertices before setting up a proportion.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeSystems of Equations
A solution to a system must satisfy every equation at the same time. Use substitution, elimination or a graph depending on which method exposes the unknown efficiently.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeTwo-Variable Data and Regression
Use paired measurements to describe an association or make a model-based prediction. A fitted line summarizes a trend; it does not force every observation to lie on the line.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeReading & Writing
Central Ideas and Details
These questions ask you to identify the main point of a passage or paragraph, or to find specific details that support a claim. You must distinguish between what is stated, implied, and irrelevant.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeCommand of Evidence
Evidence questions ask you to identify which piece of textual evidence best supports a given claim, or to evaluate how well data supports a conclusion. These come in two types: textual and quantitative.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeCross-Text Connections
Compare two writers’ claims precisely. SAT paired-text questions ask about agreement, disagreement, or how one writer would respond to a particular claim in the other text.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeEffective Language & Rhetorical Choices
These questions ask you to choose the most precise, concise, and rhetorically effective word or phrase. They test vocabulary in context, style, tone, and eliminating wordiness.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeForm, Structure, and Sense
Use sentence structure to check agreement, verb forms, modifiers and pronoun reference. The nearest noun is not always the subject of a sentence.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeGeneral Comprehension
General comprehension questions test your ability to understand the overall meaning of a passage — including interpreting data, understanding relationships between ideas, and drawing supported conclusions.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeGrammar, Punctuation & Sentence Structure
This broad category covers subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, modifier placement, parallel structure, and punctuation rules.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeInferences
An inference is a conclusion supported by clues in the passage. Choose the answer that needs the fewest additional assumptions, and preserve the author’s uncertainty.
Rules · Study tips · PracticePunctuation
Punctuation questions test commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, dashes, and periods. The SAT tests whether punctuation is necessary, unnecessary, or wrong in context.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeReading Comprehension & Main Idea
Reading comprehension questions test your ability to understand both explicit statements and implied meanings in a passage, and to identify the author's main point.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeRhetorical Analysis & Author Purpose
These questions ask why an author includes a specific detail, uses a particular word choice, or structures a passage in a certain way. Focus on the author's intent and effect.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeRhetorical Synthesis
Use the supplied notes to accomplish the question’s stated writing goal. You do not need to include every note; select the facts that serve the audience and purpose.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeSentence Boundaries
Sentence boundary questions test your ability to correctly separate or join independent clauses. You must know when to use periods, semicolons, commas, and conjunctions.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeText Structure and Purpose
Separate what a passage discusses from what the writer does with that information. A sentence can introduce a claim, illustrate it, qualify it, or challenge an earlier assumption.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeTransitions
Transition words and phrases connect ideas across sentences and paragraphs. The SAT tests whether you can identify the logical relationship between ideas and select the appropriate transition.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeWords in Context
Choose the word that fits the sentence’s exact meaning and tone. SAT vocabulary questions reward context and precision; a familiar dictionary meaning is only the starting point.
Rules · Study tips · PracticeMake the lesson stick
Read the method, try the example before revealing its solution, and write the rule behind any mistake. Practise fresh questions, then return to the topic later without your notes.
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