The math section is worth a minimum of 200 points and a maximum of 800 points; it accounts for 1/3 of the total SAT score. Its 54 questions test arithmetic, geometry, algebra and statistics skills. Students have 70 minutes to complete its three parts. You earn one point for each correct response but lose 0.25 point for each incorrect response as a guessing penalty. The math section also features a free response section that has no guessing penalty. There is also no guessing penalty for omitted answers. The College Board calculates your raw score by adding all the points earned for correct answers and subtracting 0.25 point for each incorrect multiple choice answer.
Critical reading scores also range from 200 to 800. This segment features long and short passages and poses reading comprehension questions about them. It also features two comparative reading passages. The questions related to these passages make students draw comparisons and contrasts between them. There are also a few sentence completions that test vocabulary. Students earn one point for each correct answer and lose 1/4 point for each incorrect response.
The writing section accounts for 800 points -- a third of the composite SAT score. It starts with a 25-minute essay. Students can earn as much as 12 points or as little as two points on the essay, which constitutes roughly 30 percent of the total writing score. The writing section's multiple choice questions account for roughly 70 percent of the writing score. Like the other sections, students earn a point for each right answer minus 0.25 point for each wrong answer. The raw score is the difference, and the College Board converts the raw score to a scaled score.
The SAT is one of the most important factors for college admission and scholarship eligibility in the U.S. Hence, it is advisable to prepare for it. Studying from Gruber's and Barron's are good preparation methods as well as doing previous exams. The College Board, however, maintains that taking challenging academic courses, reading widely and writing frequently are the best ways to prepare.