{"id":1034,"date":"2021-12-06T12:32:39","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T12:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=1034"},"modified":"2021-12-06T19:34:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T19:34:48","slug":"whats-tested-on-the-sat-the-new-sat-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/sat\/whats-tested-on-the-sat-the-new-sat-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips on How to Write the SAT Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the SAT essay, the College Board is very helpful\u2014they always use exactly the same format for the SAT essay, give you exactly the same directions, and ask you to include exactly the same kind of information in your essay. Because this never changes, you\u2019ll know the directions ahead of time and save yourself time on the test. Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll see on the essay portion of the SAT.
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SAT Essay: The Passage<\/h2>
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\nFirst there\u2019s a passage for you to read and analyze. According to The College Board, all passages are written for general audiences, focus on a reasoned argument, and are taken from published works in the general areas of arts, sciences, civics, politics, or culture. They all require analysis of complex, subtle subject matter.<\/p>\n

4 SAT ESSAY Passage Tips<\/h3>
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  1. Written for general audiences<\/strong>. Understanding the passage doesn\u2019t require any special knowledge of content or vocabulary. They are the kinds of passages any high school student should be able to understand and analyze.<\/li>\n
  2. Focused on a reasoned argument<\/strong>. On the SAT, arguments have nothing to do with conflicts, disagreements or fights. A reasoned argument is simply an author\u2019s topic with their conclusion and the evidence they use to back it up. Your job is to analyze how they build their argument to persuade their readers of their point of view.<\/li>\n
  3. Published works<\/strong>. All passages are taken from existing works; none are made up specifically for the SAT. Topics can include excerpts from political speeches, historical documents, personal calls for action, and the like. The essay prompts for the four tests in the current SAT Official Guide are a call for conservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., an essay on the pros and cons of students using digital media, and a first-person essay on the benefits of natural darkness<\/li>\n
  4. Analysis of subtle subject matter<\/strong>. You\u2019ll have to do some real thinking to understand the important points in the essay. Writers\u00a0rarely state ideas in simple sentences such as \u201cI think everyone should vote.\u201d More likely the idea will be\u00a0conveyed in a\u00a0more subtle form, such as \u201cThe right to vote freely and without intimidation is a fundamental hallmark of a democracy and a way to make one\u2019s political choices heard.\u201d Making connections and inferences will be important in analyzing the passage\u2019s subject matter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [RELATED<\/strong>: What\u2019s tested on the SAT Reading and Writing section<\/a> ]<\/p>\n

    SAT Essay: The Directions<\/h2>
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    \nNow what about the directions for your SAT essay? As we\u2019ve already said, they\u2019re always the same. The prompt (question) shown below, or a nearly identical one, is used for every SAT essay question.<\/p>\n

    As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.<\/p>\n

    SAT Essay Directions Example 1<\/h3>
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    As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.<\/h6>\n