Key Points
- A new Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy study found vocabulary questions on the SAT’s verbal section fell from 60 per test in 1980 and 1987 to 10 on a current practice test.
- Reading passages shrank from an average of 304 to 340 words on the older tests to just 97 words today, with one question per passage.
- The researchers say the test now asks less of students on vocabulary, background knowledge and reading volume, though College Board says shorter passages don’t make it easier.
Today’s SAT asks students to know fewer words and read far less text than the versions given in the 1980s. That’s the central finding of a new report from the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy (PDF File), which compared old and new versions of the test’s verbal section.
This study comes as more and more colleges and university systems require SAT or ACT scores for fall 2027 applicants.
The numbers paint an interesting picture. Vocabulary questions fell from 60 per test in 1980 and 1987 to just 10 on a current practice test, an 83% drop. Reading passages that once ran 300 words or more now average about 97 words, in line with the shorter passages on the digital SAT.
The researchers wrote that their findings “point to the test becoming less demanding along the dimensions we examined.”
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What Did The Johns Hopkins SAT Study Compare?
The study compared the full verbal section of three tests. Researchers pulled a 1980 SAT and a 1987 SAT from the National Archives and set them against College Board’s Full-Length SAT Paper Practice Test, Bundle 6. They treat that paper form as a reasonable stand-in for the digital SAT format students take today.
The report was prepared for Thomas Aquinas College, a Catholic liberal arts college based in California. The school accepts the Classic Learning Test alongside the SAT and ACT. The CLT’s reading section is built around longer passages from classic texts, the kind of sustained reading the study found today’s SAT has largely dropped.
| Measure | 1980 SAT | 1987 SAT | 2026 Practice SAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Questions | 85 | 85 | 66 |
| Vocabulary Questions | 60 | 60 | 10 |
| Analogy And Antonym Questions | 45 | 45 | 0 |
| Answer Choices Per Question | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Reading Passages | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| Average Passage Length | 304 words | 340 words | 97 words |
| Questions Per Passage | Several | Several | One |
| Literary Nonfiction Passages | 4 of 6 | 3 of 6 | 1 of 17 |
| Average Lexile Score | 1128L | 1337L | 1428L |
How Much Vocabulary Is Left On The SAT?
Very little. Each of the older tests carried 45 analogy and antonym questions, which asked students to know words on sight with no context. College Board dropped antonyms in 1994 and analogies in 2005, long before the SAT turned 100 in 2026.
The current form has 10 vocabulary questions, and every one supplies a sentence of context with a single blank. Students now infer a word’s meaning instead of arriving with it. Analogy and antonym drills no longer match anything on the test.
How Short Are The New SAT Reading Passages?
The current test’s passages average about 97 words. Passages on the 1980 and 1987 tests averaged 304 and 340 words, and each one carried several questions. Today, every passage gets a single question, a format students will recognize from Khan Academy’s official digital SAT course.
Students also get more time to read less. The researchers calculate that today’s test takers have 20% to 30% more time per word of passage text than students did in the 1980s. A strong score today reflects far less sustained reading than a strong SAT score did in 1987.
The kind of reading changed too. Argumentative or persuasive texts made up 5 of the 12 passages on the older tests but just 1 of 17 on the current form. Expository passages, which explain information rather than argue a point, now fill 14 of the 17 slots.
Families comparing the SAT, ACT and CLT will find the CLT still uses longer passages drawn from classic texts.
Does The New SAT Require Less Background Knowledge?
Yes, on a per-passage basis. The older tests often assumed students already brought historical, cultural and scientific frameworks to each passage. Current passages supply more of that context inside the text, so the test captures less of what students learn from years of reading.
That matters more now that more applicants send scores even to test-optional schools.
What Does College Board Say?
College Board rejects the idea that shorter means easier. A College Board research brief published in July 2026 studied nearly 200,000 students and found passage length did not meaningfully affect scores on reading and writing questions. The organization, which also administers the PSAT/NMSQT, says text complexity and question wording drive difficulty.
The Johns Hopkins team notes that the College Board study compared the digital SAT with the recent paper SAT, not with the 1980s forms. Its own report also includes data that cuts the other way. Current passages averaged 1428L on the Lexile scale, above 1337L in 1987 and 1128L in 1980. The authors warn that the measure is unreliable for very short texts.
The new test also asks students to revise prose and read charts, tasks the older forms never included. For that reason, the researchers stop short of saying the SAT as a whole got easier. They advise admissions offices, including colleges reinstating test requirements, to be cautious when comparing scores across eras.
What The SAT Changes Mean For Students And Families
The current SAT rewards close reading of short, dense passages over memorized vocabulary. That should shape which SAT prep courses families pay for, since word-list drills no longer match the test.
Score are becoming important once again, as well. Many colleges tie merit scholarships to test results, and students with higher SAT scores are more likely to receive merit grants at moderately selective private colleges. The class of 2026 averaged 1045 on the SAT, up 16 points from the prior year.
The report’s advice for families is regular reading across science, history and the arts. That habit builds the vocabulary the old test measured and the comfort with dense prose the new one rewards. It also costs nothing, unlike private SAT tutoring.
Takeaways For Students And Families
- Start with free practice. Take a Bluebook practice test and use Khan Academy’s official SAT prep before paying for a course.
- Skip the vocabulary flashcards. Spend prep time on short passages, charts and grammar, and compare paid SAT prep options only if free tools stall.
- Check every school’s testing rules. Use our list of colleges requiring the SAT or ACT to see whether your target schools want a score.
- Consider the CLT if your list accepts it. Strong readers may prefer the Classic Learning Test’s longer passages.
- Ask about merit aid score cutoffs. A higher score can lower your net price through academic merit aid.
Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
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