The SAT  is a standardized test that is used for undergraduate college admissions at LUMS, and other leading universities & colleges in the world.

The SAT is a 3-hour test that basically tests your knowledge of English and Mathematics, It has a total score of 1600, with each section having a score of 800. The test is essentially required for admissions into LUMS and most universities in the USA. Hence, scoring high on the SAT is a major step towards your admission process.

The English portion of the test has two sections: Critical Reading &Writing & Language.

The Critical Reading section has 52 questions based on a passage from U.S. or world literature; one passage from either a U.S. founding document or a related text; one passage about economics, psychology, sociology, or another social science; and, two science passages. The multiple-choice questions must be answered in 65 minutes. There are five passages, with up to two double passages comprising two short passages. Each passage has 10 or 11 questions to be answered. The student is required to answer the questions based on implied or direct information provided in the passage. The section must be completed in 65 minutes.

The Writing & Language section has 44 questions that must be answered within 35 minutes, hence time is of the essence. Each question is from a reading passage and checks your knowledge of English usage, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and vocabulary. Some questions ask you to interpret relevant data depicted in charts, tables, or graphs. The student is required to read the underlined portion of a sentence, detect any grammar, vocabulary, or usage mistakes, and improve the sentence for better logic, clarity, and continuity. There are 4 answer choices but only one of them is correct. Some questions may have no errors.

The Essay is optional though most universities require that you write the essay. It, therefore, makes sense to check with the college or university where you intend to seek admission about the essay requirement. The SAT essay is not like the conventional English essay that seeks your opinion about a short essay topic or prompt. The SAT essay topic/prompt is itself 600 to 750 words long write-up that you must read and analyze carefully before writing your response. You must be able to write about the author’s reasoning, logic, evidence, and rhetorical skills that the author uses in his argument to make his point of view convincing. Your response must be based on proper English grammar and usage, demonstrating your ability to not only analyze, but also to show off your ability to write well.