Reading and Writing · 01 · Getting Started · Free
Orientation
Notes
Key points
- 2 modules × 27 questions, 32 minutes each — 64 minutes in total.
- Module 2 is adaptive: harder or easier depending on how Module 1 went.
- One short passage per question, one question, four choices.
- Four domains: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Expression of Ideas.
- Grammar lives in Conventions: Boundaries (punctuation) and Form, Structure, and Sense (agreement, tense).
- Transitions and Rhetorical Synthesis (notes → goal) make up Expression of Ideas.
- Pace ≈ 70 seconds per question. No penalty for wrong answers.
Common traps
- Sinking minutes into one question — flag it, move on, return before the module ends.
- Leaving a question blank: a guess costs nothing.
- Expecting Desmos or a reference sheet here — both are Math-only.
SAT tip
Similar question types are grouped; grammar questions are quick points, so bank time there for the longer reading questions.
Test yourself
10 official SAT questions on Orientation, easiest first.