The 29 SAT Skills
Last updated: June 3, 2026
The digital SAT covers a specific set of skills across Reading and Writing and Math. Here is the full reference list — every skill name, its domain, and what it asks you to do — organized so you can use it when reviewing practice tests.
Most SAT study resources give you a score and leave you to figure out what to do with it. This list is built for a different approach: label every wrong answer by skill, track which ones repeat, and study those specifically.
The skills below map to HIROSCORE's 29-skill tracking framework, organized to match the College Board's four Reading and Writing domains and four Math domains.
Reading and Writing Skills
Information and Ideas
Central Ideas and Details — What is the main point of the passage? What does a specific detail illustrate or support? These are the most direct questions in the section — they ask what the text says, not what it implies.
Command of Evidence (Textual) — A conclusion is presented, and you choose the sentence or quote from the passage that best supports it. The wrong answers often address the same topic but support a different conclusion.
Command of Evidence (Quantitative) — A passage makes a claim; a table or graph is provided. You identify the data that supports or challenges that claim. Reading the passage argument and the chart separately before combining them is the key move.
Inferences — Based on what the passage states, what can be logically concluded? The answer is not in the text — it follows from what the text says. The most common mistake is picking the option that repeats information rather than extending it.
Cross-Text Connections — Two short passages on the same topic. How do the authors' views relate? What would one author say about the other's argument? These almost always ask about agreement, disagreement, or qualification between the two.
Craft and Structure
Words in Context — Which word best completes the sentence given the meaning and tone of the surrounding passage? These are not vocabulary memorization tests. The right answer fits the argument, not just the definition.
Text Structure and Purpose — Why did the author include this paragraph? How is this text organized? Identifying the purpose of a structural choice is the core skill.
Expression of Ideas
Rhetorical Choices — Which sentence best achieves a specific writing goal stated in the question? Read the goal carefully — it tells you exactly what to optimize for.
Rhetorical Synthesis — You're given 3–5 bullet-pointed notes. Combine them into a single sentence that meets a stated condition. These are predictable once you know the format.
Transitions — Which transition word or phrase fits the logical relationship between the two sentences? Knowing the categories (contrast, addition, cause and effect, elaboration) makes these fast.
Sentence Ordering — Four sentences are presented out of order. Which sequence makes the most logical paragraph? Look for the sentence that introduces the topic and work from there.
Concision and Precision — Which version of the underlined phrase is most concise without losing meaning? Or most precise for the context? Both clarity and meaning are tested.
Standard English Conventions
Punctuation and Sentence Boundaries — Where does the comma, semicolon, colon, or period go? The core skill is recognizing whether each clause is independent or dependent.
Subject-Verb Agreement — Does the verb agree with its subject in number? The challenge is that long phrases often separate subject from verb — you have to identify the actual subject.
Pronoun Agreement — Does the pronoun match its antecedent in number and form? The most common errors involve collective nouns and ambiguous antecedents.
Verb Tense, Number, and Form — Is the verb in the correct tense relative to the rest of the passage? Is the form (infinitive, participle, gerund) correct for its grammatical role?
Math Skills
Algebra
Algebra is the heaviest Math domain — roughly 35% of your Math score.
Linear Equations in One Variable — Solve for a single variable. Many of these are word problems where you construct the equation from a description.
Linear Equations in Two Variables — Work with equations in y = mx + b or standard form. Interpret slope and intercept in context.
Linear Functions — Questions about rate of change, what a linear model represents, and how changes to the equation affect the graph.
Systems of Linear Equations — Two equations, two unknowns. Solve using substitution or elimination, or interpret a graph showing intersection points.
Linear Inequalities — Solve inequalities with one or two variables. Interpret shaded regions on graphs.
Advanced Math
Equivalent Expressions — Rewrite or factor an expression. Includes factoring quadratics, completing the square, and simplifying rational expressions.
Nonlinear Equations and Systems — Solve quadratic equations, and systems that include one linear and one nonlinear equation.
Nonlinear Functions — Exponential and polynomial functions. Interpret their values, graphs, and what they model in context.
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Ratios, Rates, and Proportional Reasoning — Set up and solve proportion problems. Includes unit conversions and percent calculations.
Probability and Statistics — Calculate probability, interpret mean, median, and range, and read two-way frequency tables.
Geometry and Trigonometry
Geometry: Area, Volume, Lines, and Angles — Area and perimeter of shapes, volume of 3D solids, parallel lines cut by a transversal, and angle relationships.
Right Triangles — Pythagorean theorem, properties of 30-60-90 and 45-45-90 special triangles.
Trigonometry — Sine, cosine, and tangent in right triangles. The unit circle is tested lightly.
How to use this list
Print it out or keep it open while you review practice tests. For every question you get wrong, find the skill it belongs to and log it. After three or four practice sessions, the pattern is clear.
HIROSCORE does this automatically. After each session, it shows your performance broken down by skill — what's solid, what's at risk, and what to fix. Track your skills with HIROSCORE.
You show up. HIROSCORE does the rest.