The SAT Literature test is a 1-hour exam consisting of 60 multiple-choice questions. It is designed to measure how well you have learned to read and interpret literature.

The test usually includes six to eight literary texts. Each text is followed by a set of six to eight questions based on that text.

According to the College Board, the questions on the test are distributed by genre in approximately the following percentages:

Usually about half of the literary texts on the test are by authors from the United States, and about half are by authors from Great Britain. However, many tests include at least one text written by an author from another country where English is spoken, such as Ireland, Canada, India, or one of the Caribbean islands.

Also, usually about 60% of the texts on the test are from works written before 1900. Several of these may be from works written before 1700, such as plays by Shakespeare. Only about 40% of the texts on the test are from modern works written since 1900.

The SAT Literature test measures not only how well you understand the subject matter of each text, but also how well you understand specific literary concepts such as theme, genre, tone, and characterization. You may be asked about the structure and organization of a text, or you may be asked about the author’s use of narrative voice. You may also be asked about syntax, diction, vocabulary, and the author’s use of figurative language, including imagery. You should be familiar with these concepts from your English and Language Arts classes.

For the SAT Literature test, the College Board simply recommends that you have as much experience as possible in reading and carefully analyzing a wide variety of American and English literary works from different historical periods and in different genres. The more texts you have read and closely studied, the better prepared you will be. Note, however, that there is no particular reading list for the test, so you cannot know beforehand which literary works you will encounter on the exam you take.

On the SAT Literature test, your “raw score” is calculated as follows: you receive one point for each question you answer correctly, but you lose onequarter of a point for each question you answer incorrectly. You do not gain or lose any points for questions that you do not answer at all. Your raw score is then converted into a scaled score by a statistical method that takes into account how well you did compared to others who took the same test. Scaled scores range from 200 to 800 points. Your scaled score will be reported to you, your high school, and to the colleges and universities you designate to receive it.

Scoring scales differ slightly from one version of the test to the next. The scoring scale provided after the Literature test in this book is only a sample that will show you your approximate scaled score.