SAT Time Breakdown With Breaks

For any student considering taking the SAT, here’s the full SAT time breakdown with breaks that you should use to help your test prep.

Doing well on the SAT will help bolster your college applications and increase your eligibility for a variety of competitive scholarships and academic programs.

While you will obviously want to have a strong understanding of the concepts covered on the test to earn a good score, it is just as important for you to know how to manage your time well on the test.

Like most other standardized tests, the SAT is timed. Even if you know how to solve each and every question on the SAT, you are not going to do well if you are not able to solve these questions in the allotted time.

The first step you need to take to make sure you are ready for the SAT is to familiarize yourself with SAT time constraints. When you know how much time you’ll have on each section, you will be able to estimate how much time you can spend on each question, which will improve your ability to answer questions in the time provided.

If you plan on taking the SAT, here’s the full SAT time breakdown with breaks that you should use to help your test prep.

In addition to how the test timing breaks down, here are some additional SAT test day tips you should know before signing up.

Understanding the Digital SAT

As of March 2024, the full SAT suite of assessments has officially moved to the digital format. This shift has brought about several changes to the length and format of the SAT that students will need to keep in mind as they prepare to take the exam.

The digital SAT is quite a bit shorter than the original paper-and-pencil version of the test. It has been cut down from 3 hours to just 2 hours and 14 minutes. The number of parts has also been reduced from 5 sections (Reading, Writing and Language, Math with and without calculator, and the optional Writing test) to 2 modules (Reading and Writing and Math).

All modules of the digital SAT will feature less questions than the original test and the reading passages will be much shorter in length. The paper test often had passages ranging from 500 to 750 words with multiple questions following each one. Passages on the digital exam will be 50 to 150 words each and will only require students to answer one question per passage.

The digital SAT makes use of an adaptive testing format as well, meaning that the test may change according to a student’s performance throughout. Students who perform well on the first module of the exam will receive a more challenging second module while those who score lower will receive an easier one. This adaptive format allows for a more accurate measurement of each student’s individual abilities.

Digital SAT Time Breakdown with Breaks Overview

Now that we know all about the format of the digital SAT, let’s see how it breaks down in terms of time. Without breaks, the total length of the SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes. Students will receive one 10 minute break in between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section, bringing the total length of the exam up to 2 hours and 24 minutes.

Some students may receive an additional 20 minute experimental section after completing the final module. This last module may be randomly assigned to students who take the SAT, so you will not know whether you will need to complete this section until test day.

If you are assigned an experimental section, plan to add an additional 22 minutes to your test administration (20 minutes of testing and an additional 2 minute stretch break). This section will not count toward your final score, so try not to stress about it too much.

Digital SAT Time Breakdown Per Section

The 2 hours and 14 minutes you spend taking the test will be broken into 2 sections (Reading and Writing and Math), with each section containing 2 modules of equal length. Here is a breakdown of what that looks like in terms of time per section and time per question.

Section	Time Per Section	Time Per Module	Total Number of Questions	Time Per Question
Reading and Writing	64 minutes	32 minutes	54	1 minute and 11 seconds
Math	70 minutes	35 minutes	44	1 minute and 35 seconds

As you can see, you will have slightly more time per question during the Math section compared to the Reading and Writing section. In terms of the test as a whole, you will have an average of 1 minute and 22 seconds to answer each question. That is an additional 12 seconds per question that students did not have on the longer paper version of the SAT.

How Many Breaks Do Students Receive?

Every SAT test administration has breaks scheduled into the allotted time. Since the test is so much shorter than it used to be though, most students will only receive one 10 minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section instead of the 10 minute and 5 minute breaks that were a part of the paper SAT.

This means that you will not have a break between the 2 modules that make up each larger section. Each section is divided into 2 equal length modules, and you will have to complete both modules of the first section (Reading and Writing) before you can take your break. After your break, you will complete both modules of the Math section. Then, you will either move onto the 20 minute experimental test (after a short 5 minute break) or be done for the day.

What Time Does the Test Start?

For every administration date, the test center doors open at 7:45 a.m. and close at 8 a.m.

 

Once test-takers arrive in the testing room, the designated proctor will read a short script, check desks, and collect all unauthorized devices. Every calculator is also checked to make sure it is an approved model.

 

After everyone is checked in, seated, and ready to start, the proctor distributes the start code, which students will enter to begin testing. The test starts between 8:15 and 8:20 AM depending on how long these previous steps take to finish.

 

It is best to arrive early so that you can find your test room and settle in to take the test without panicking about being late.

Details for When Testing Actually Begins

First, you will wait until you are assigned your seat. You will not be able to choose your seat, so you will likely have to wait outside of your test room until the proctor checks your ID and admission materials and gives you a seat.

 

Here’s what happens next:

• The proctor will read all instructions from the official manual and answer any questions about procedure alone.
• The proctor will also tell you when to begin and finish working on each test section.
• You will then work on each test section only in the allotted time.
• You cannot go back to a section’s questions once that specific section has finished.
• Pause if you finish a section early. You cannot start the next section if you finish the current one early.
• Do not skip sections. Potential penalties for doing so include score cancellation, delays, or both.
• Once time runs out, Bluebook (the app used to administer the digital SAT) will end the test and automatically send your scores. You must remain seated and quiet until your test is finished.
• After you finish, the proctor will make sure your answers were submitted, collect your scratch paper, return any items they collected, and dismiss you.

 

Bluebook times each student individually throughout the exam. Since students may enter their start codes at slightly different times, they may have slightly different break and end times as well. 

 

When you finish the first section, you will be shown a break screen and told you can leave the room. You do not have to wait for the proctor to dismiss you. After your break time ends, you can then click a button on screen to begin the next section.

Taking the Digital SAT with Accommodations

Some students may require additional accommodations, such as extended time or extra breaks.

• Extended time: The timer within the Bluebook app will be automatically adjusted to the approved amount of time with extra breaks.
• Breaks as needed: Students will have the ability to pause the time and take a break.
• Extra breaks: Students will receive an extra 5 minute break between Modules 1 and 2 of each section.
• Extended breaks: Students will have twice the time of regularly scheduled breaks, giving them a 20 minute break between sections instead of 10 minutes.

 

To learn more about registering for test accommodations on the digital SAT, check out the College Board website.

Break Tips to Remember

Remember, your 10 minute break between sections is the only time you’re allowed to eat and drink.

• Always keep your ID and admission ticket with you. They’ll be checked every time you enter the testing room.
• Your testing device, scratch paper, and calculator must remain on your desk during your breaks.
• Don’t use this time to power up any devices, like cell phones. The penalty for doing so is score cancellation.
• You may only eat in designated areas. Arrive at the test administration early so you can determine where these areas are ahead of time.

 

If you have an additional fifth section, you will get a 2-minute stretch break. During this break, you are not allowed to leave the room, eat, or drink.

How to Know How Much Time Is Left

With the switch to the digital format, the proctor no longer keeps track of how much time is left in the exam. This means you cannot rely on announcements from the proctor to know when you only have 5 minutes left. You will be responsible for keeping an eye on the timer displayed on your screen as you work. 

 

You can view or hide the countdown clock at any time throughout the exam. If the ticking clock makes you nervous, feel free to hide it. Just make sure you check it periodically so you can manage your time wisely.

When Does the SAT End?

The release time varies slightly by each testing center.

 

Remember, the main sections take 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete, and students receive 10 minutes of breaks to use. There’s also setup time and instructions before each section begins and the potential for an additional fifth section.

 

Students should expect to finish between 10:45 and 11 AM.

Time Management Tips

Now that you know the time breakdown of the SAT, it will be up to you to learn how to best manage this time so that you can earn an impressive SAT score.

 

Here are some time management tips that will help you navigate the test with ease.

Practice Using SAT Timing

When you take practice tests to prepare for the SAT, take them under the actual conditions that you will be given on test day.

 

Sure, you may be able to answer all of the Reading and Writing questions correctly with unlimited time, but it is critical that you are able to see how well you will do in only 64 minutes.

 

This will help you learn to make adjustments so that you are able to answer all of the questions in a timely manner. Maybe you need to skim the Reading passages. Maybe you need to use your calculator less on the Math section. Whatever strategy you need to adopt to meet the time limit will only become apparent when you have practiced using these time limits prior to test day.

Don’t Spend Too Long on Tough Questions

Remember, you only have about 71 seconds per question for the Reading and Writing section and 95 seconds per question in the Math section.

 

If you are stuck on a particularly tough question, do not spend more than a minute trying to figure out the answer. Make an educated or blind guess, flag it as a question to return to if you have more time at the end of the test section, and move on to the next question.

Skip Around

As long as you have a good system in place for flagging questions that you don’t answer right away, you should feel free to skip around to different questions within a test section. The digital SAT makes this even easier by incorporating a dedicated “Mark for Review” tool.

 

The questions are not in order from easiest to hardest, so there is a good chance that there will be many questions that are easier and less time consuming near the middle and end of any given section. Answer these questions that you have a greater chance of answering correctly first, and then return to the tougher questions with your leftover time.

The Digital SAT Playbook

As the founder and CEO of Prep Expert and a perfect-scorer myself, I have dedicated more than 10,000 hours over the past decade to creating the most effective test preparation content for students. I have written 15 books about SAT prep, ACT prep, entrepreneurship, and self-development, and this March, I added another that is uniquely crafted for students and parents seeking help preparing for the digital SAT: The Digital SAT Playbook.

 

Packed full of proven strategies that have helped hundreds of thousands of students improve their SAT scores, get into top colleges, and win over $100 million in scholarships, the Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook is the product of my hard work, knowledge, and expertise.

 

This new book is fully updated to prepare students for all aspects of the digital SAT, including the unique question types, adaptive testing structure, and new content. 

 

Pick up your copy today to gain access to:

• The best digital SAT questions to practice with.
• Techniques to spot grammar errors on SAT Writing.
• Strategies to increase passage-reading speed on SAT Reading.
• All of the must-know key concepts for SAT Math.
• Test-taking and study skills for all academic exams.
• The secret to success for the SAT and life beyond.

 

Learn even more valuable tips through Prep Expert’s extensive catalog of online test prep courses.