How does not answering a question on the sat count against you?

Leaving questions unanswered on the SAT does not count against you. The test follows what is known as the "no penalty for guessing" policy. This means that regardless of whether you attempt the question or not, a correct response grants you a point, while an incorrect one fetches you zero points. Accordingly, if you do not have a strong grasp on the concept tested, you can omit the question and focus your time and effort on solving those you are confident about.