SAT Test for College Admissions

Thank you so much for your interest in preparing for College through SAT Readiness. This 15 minute video will give you a breakdown of: What is the SAT? How to Practice for it? And What are Test Optional schools? In addition, please read below for more options.

Woodson School Day SAT

  • 10/13/2021 - All seniors in DCPS will be automatically registered to take the School Day SAT on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021. This is mandatory for all seniors!!!! School Day SAT will be at HD Woodson High school for HD students.

  • 3/2/2022 - All juniors in DCPS will be automatically registered to take the School Day SAT on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022. This is mandatory for all juniors!!!! The school day SAT will happen at HD Woodson.


Student who wish to improve their score after taking one of of the Wednesday, School Day SATs may sign up for Saturday Morning test days at other testing centers.


Students can register for either the SAT which is $52 or the SAT with Essay which is $68.

If you are not able to pay this fee due to financial circumstances, please reach out to me, Ms. Ottley (Tiana.Ottley@k12.dc.gov) (202-617-4648) for a FEE WAIVER.


  • Students can register for a Saturday Morning test day at the College Board’s website at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

  • There are 2021-2022 upcoming test dates

    • Test Day: November 6th --- Deadline to Register is 10/8 or 10/26 for late registration

    • Test Day: December 4th --- Deadline to Register is 11/4 or 11/23 for late registration

    • Test Day: March 12th --- Deadline to Register is 2/11 or 3/1 for late registration

    • Test Day: May 7th --- Deadline to Register is 4/8 or 4/26 for late registration

    • Test Day: June 4th --- Deadline to Register is 5/5 or 5/25 for late registration


Juniors Spring SAT Day


School Day SAT for Juniors is March 2nd. This will be located at the high school. This is mandatory for all Juniors. All juniors will be registered automatically (unless COVID shutdowns changes things).


How to Print your SAT Admissions Ticket?

SAT PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

Outside of Reading a lot, Studying vocabulary, and Practicing MATH, one of the best ways to practice for the SAT is by creating an Khan Academy account at www.SATpractice.org

  • www.SATpractice.org offers:

    • Personalized SAT practice for you

    • 8 full-length practice SAT tests, and

    • Interactive questions, videos, lessons, and study tips.

  • In addition to the SAT’s official practice website, there are additional YouTube videos offering Test Studying Tips and Strategies that can help you prepare for the SAT.


The www.SATpractice.org website is a FREE resource. However, parents still have the option to pay for SAT prep tutors and more strict SAT prep programs, like those listed below. The sites listed below are not required to do well on the SAT, but they can help. Nevertheless, they are expensive $$$.


Try searching on Google: Free SAT prep for DC Students (because sometimes libraries or community centers may offer a class or two for free.)


You can also order some SAT Test Prep books from Amazon or Official Study Guides from CollegeBoard.org.



If you are in the school, come to the library during lunch to study, read, and prepare for the SAT.

SAT Reading Section Quick Facts

Link with More Information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/inside-the-test/reading

  • All Reading Test questions are multiple choice and based on passages.

  • Some passages are paired with other passages.

  • Informational graphics, such as tables, graphs, and charts, accompany some passages—but no math is required.

  • Prior topic-specific knowledge is never tested.

  • The Reading Test is part of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section.

What the Reading Test Is Like

When you take the Reading Test, you’ll read passages and interpret informational graphics. Then you’ll use what you’ve read to answer questions.

Some questions ask you to locate a piece of information or an idea stated directly. But you’ll also need to understand what the author’s words imply. In other words, you have to read between the lines.


SAT Prep Reading List - Verbal Practice

Reading a lot is the best way to prepare for the SAT verbal section. Here is a suggested SAT Reading list. (These books help you prepare for the advanced reading material on the SAT).

  • Goal: Ready at least 20-30 minutes every day

Reading List

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

  • Les Misérables

  • Moby Dick by Herman Melville

  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

  • The Awakening by Kate Chopin

  • Beowulf

  • The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

  • Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

  • The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

  • The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

  • The Crucible by Arthur Miller

  • Animal Farm by George Orwell

  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare

  • Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

  • The Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Link to more reading resources.


SAT Vocabulary Study List

There a number of websites that list the different vocabulary words that may be on the SAT. Create flashcards and start studying. You may even be able to find some free Phone Apps for SAT practice.

SAT MATH Section Quick Facts

Link with more information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/inside-the-test/math

  • Most math questions will be multiple choice, but some—called grid-ins—ask you to come up with the answer rather than select the answer.

  • The Math Test is divided into two portions: Math Test–Calculator and Math Test–No Calculator.

  • Some parts of the test include several questions about a single scenario.

Math section Focus

The Math Test will focus in depth on the three areas of math that play the biggest role in a wide range of college majors and careers:

The Math Test also draws on Additional Topics in Math, including the geometry and trigonometry most relevant to college and career readiness.


What SAT score do I need to get accepted?

For colleges that do require the SAT, make sure you go to their website and search for what SAT score they require to get accepted to their school.


You can search colleges in general at the following sites:


Test Optional Colleges

Please keep in mind that while many colleges do require an SAT, there are over 1,000 College and universities with Test Optional policies which mean they may not require the SAT at all, or they may not require the SAT if your GPA is a high enough. Check out this list now to see if any of the college you are interested in are on this list. https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional