SAT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield SAT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which literary device is used in the sentence: 'The wind whispered secrets through the trees'? → Personification
2. A study with a small margin of error generally indicates: → A more precise estimate
3. In a question about an author's main purpose, a passage that defines a problem, reviews failed fixes, and proposes a new solution is mainly written to: → Advocate for a particular solution
4. What is the slope of a horizontal line? → 0
5. Which choice correctly joins two independent clauses? "The lab closed early ___ the students finished their experiments at home." → , so
6. An author writes that critics 'dismissed the idea out of hand.' The phrase 'out of hand' means the critics rejected it: → Immediately without consideration
7. An author writes: 'Since the new policy was introduced, crime fell. Therefore the policy caused the drop.' What flaw does this contain? → Confusing correlation with causation
8. An inscribed angle intercepts an arc of 100°. What is the measure of the inscribed angle? → 50°
9. Which choice correctly punctuates the list? "She packed pencils, erasers ___ and a calculator." → ,
10. Which of the following is an example of the ad hominem fallacy? → Attacking the character of the person making the argument instead of the argument itself.
11. A sphere has radius 3. What is its volume? (V = (4/3)πr³) → 36π
12. A runner completes a 5K race in 25 minutes. What is her average speed in minutes per kilometer? → 5 min/km
13. Factor completely: 2x² + 6x → 2x(x + 3)
14. Which of the following is an example of a circular argument? → The law is just because it is the law
15. Pick the equation with a vertex of (4, -4). → y=5(x-4)2-4
16. Which of the following best defines 'begging the question'? → Using the conclusion as a premise in the argument.
17. When revising an essay for conciseness, which phrase should ALWAYS be replaced with a single word? → All of the above
18. If 2(x + 3) = 16, what is x? → 5
19. Which of the following sets of side lengths CANNOT form a right triangle? → 4, 5, 7
20. Two supplementary angles have a ratio of 2:1. What are their measures? → 120° and 60°
21. Which sentence corrects the dangling modifier? "To win the prize, the rules must be followed." → To win the prize, contestants must follow the rules.
22. If a is two more than a third of b, which of the following equations accurately gives the value of b in terms of a? → b=3(a-2)
23. In a right triangle, one leg is 3 and the hypotenuse is 5. What is the length of the other leg? → 4
24. >What number (x) divided by four is equal to that same number minus 30? → 40
25. Which of the following best describes a valid argument? → An argument with premises that logically support the conclusion.
26. What is the y-intercept of f(x) = 2x² - 3x + 1? → 1
27. How sentences are structured and arranged is known as: → Syntax
28. In a timed SAT-style essay, the best first step is to: → Read the passage and mark key techniques
29. In the equation below, what is the value of x? 1/2x+8=3/4x-3 → 44
30. Which of the following arguments commits the straw man fallacy? → Attacking a distorted or exaggerated version of the opponent's argument.