SAT Question Bank by Topic: The Fastest Way to Target Your Weak Areas

TLDR:

• The College Board's Bluebook app lets you filter practice questions by 47 specific topics across Math and Reading/Writing
• Topic-based practice cuts study time by 40-60% compared to full-length tests when you know your weak areas
• Filter by selecting "Practice" → "Question Bank" → choosing your section → applying topic filters
• Most effective approach: Take one diagnostic test, then spend 80% of your time on your 3-4 weakest topics
• Warning: Don't cherry-pick only easy topics—you need exposure to everything that appears on test day

Topic-Based Filtering Actually Works Better Than Full Practice Tests

Here's what nobody tells you about SAT prep: Taking your seventh full-length practice test isn't helping if you keep missing the same question types.

I've watched hundreds of students grind through practice test after practice test, and the ones who improve fastest aren't doing more tests—they're using the SAT question bank by topic to hammer their specific weaknesses. A student who struggles with quadratic equations doesn't need to spend 15 minutes on geometry questions they already understand. They need 30 targeted quadratic problems.

The topic filtering feature in the Bluebook app (College Board's official platform) changes everything. Instead of hoping you'll see enough circle geometry questions across multiple tests, you can pull up 20 circle problems right now.

How to Access and Use Topic Filters in Bluebook

Step 1: Open the Filter Panel

Launch Bluebook and select "Practice" from the main menu. Choose "Question Bank" (not "Practice Tests"). Pick either Reading and Writing or Math section. Look for the filter icon—usually three horizontal lines or a funnel symbol in the upper right.

Step 2: Navigate the Topic Hierarchy

The SAT organizes questions into domains, then breaks those into specific topics. For Math, you'll see four main domains:

• Algebra (about 13-15 questions per test)
• Advanced Math (13-15 questions)
• Problem-Solving and Data Analysis (5-7 questions)
• Geometry and Trigonometry (5-7 questions)

Click any domain to reveal subtopics. Under Algebra, for example, you'll find linear equations, linear functions, systems of equations, and linear inequalities as separate filters.

Step 3: Select Your Topics

You can choose multiple topics simultaneously. If you're weak on both exponential functions and quadratic functions, check both boxes. The system will generate a mixed practice set.

Set your question quantity—typically between 10-30 questions per session. More than 30 questions and you're basically taking a section test anyway.

The 47 Topics That Actually Matter

Reading and Writing Topics (26 total)

The Reading and Writing section splits into two domains: Information and Ideas, and Standard English Conventions.

Under Information and Ideas, you'll practice:

• Central Ideas and Details (finding main points and supporting evidence)
• Command of Evidence (choosing quotes that support claims)
• Inferences (reading between the lines)
• Rhetorical Synthesis (combining information from notes or sources)

The Craft and Structure questions include:

• Words in Context (vocabulary in passages)
• Text Structure and Purpose (how passages are organized)
• Cross-Text Connections (comparing two related texts)

Standard English Conventions covers grammar:

• Boundaries (fragments, run-ons, punctuation between clauses)
• Form, Structure, and Sense (verb forms, pronouns, modifiers)

Expression of Ideas includes:

• Rhetorical Synthesis (organizing ideas effectively)
• Transitions (connecting sentences and paragraphs)

Math Topics (21 total)

The Math section's topic breakdown is more granular, which is exactly what you want.

Algebra topics:

• Linear equations in one variable
• Linear equations in two variables
• Linear functions
• Systems of two linear equations
• Linear inequalities

Advanced Math includes:

• Equivalent expressions (factoring, expanding)
• Nonlinear equations in one variable
• Systems of equations in two variables (nonlinear)
• Nonlinear functions (quadratics, exponentials, polynomials)

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis:

• Ratios, rates, proportions, units
• Percentages
• One-variable data (mean, median, mode, range)
• Two-variable data (scatterplots, line of best fit)
• Probability and conditional probability
• Inference from sample statistics and margin of error

Geometry and Trigonometry:

• Area and volume
• Lines, angles, and triangles
• Right triangles and trigonometry
• Circles

The Strategic Approach That Actually Raises Scores

Start with a diagnostic full-length test. You need baseline data. Take one complete practice test under timed conditions and review every single mistake. Don't just count wrong answers—categorize them by topic.

Identify your bottom 3-4 topics. Not your bottom 10. If you're getting 60% of circle questions wrong but 90% of linear equations correct, circles are your priority. Write down the specific topics where you're scoring below 70%.

Block practice those weak topics intensely. Spend 2-3 study sessions on each weak topic before moving on. For a topic like "systems of two linear equations," do 25-30 practice questions over three days. This concentrated exposure builds pattern recognition faster than scattered practice.

One of my students was missing 4-5 questions per test on "nonlinear equations in one variable"—basically anything involving quadratics or exponentials. We spent four hours over one week just on that topic using the SAT question bank by topic filter. On her next practice test, she missed zero questions in that category. Four hours of targeted work fixed a problem that would have persisted through five more full-length tests.

Mix in your strong topics occasionally. Don't completely abandon what you're good at. Once per week, do a 10-question set from your strongest topics to maintain that edge and build confidence.

Return to full-length tests periodically. After you've addressed 3-4 weak areas (usually 2-3 weeks of focused practice), take another full diagnostic. This shows you if your targeted practice is translating to test performance and reveals any new weak spots.

Common Mistakes That Waste Your Time

Mistake #1: Practicing topics you've already mastered

I see this constantly with high-achieving students. They're scoring 95% on linear equations, so they... practice more linear equations because it feels good. That's not studying; that's procrastination with extra steps. If you're consistently above 85% on a topic, you're done with isolated practice for that topic.

Mistake #2: Studying topics in the same order as the test

The SAT doesn't organize questions by topic—they're mixed throughout each module. Don't practice that way during topic-specific work. When you're doing targeted practice, you want all the questions to be similar. That's the point. You're building a mental template for that question type.

Mistake #3: Not timing your topic practice

Just because you're practicing one topic doesn't mean time pressure disappears. Set a timer. Math questions should average 1.5 minutes each; Reading and Writing questions about 1.1 minutes each. If you can only solve circle problems when you have unlimited time, you can't actually solve circle problems on the SAT.

Mistake #4: Skipping the explanation videos

After you complete a topic practice set, Bluebook shows you which questions you missed and provides explanations. Watch these. Every single time. The explanations reveal the College Board's preferred solution method, which is often faster than what you tried.

Mistake #5: Never venturing beyond your diagnostic weak areas

Your first practice test might not expose weaknesses in topics that only appear 2-3 times per test. After you've fixed your obvious problems, systematically work through topics you haven't practiced much. I've seen students get blindsided on test day by a topic they'd simply never encountered during prep.

How Reading and Writing Topic Practice Differs from Math

Math topics are discrete and recognizable. You can look at a question and usually identify "this is a systems of equations problem" within seconds.

Reading and Writing topics are sneakier. A question about "text structure and purpose" looks almost identical to one about "central ideas and details." The passages are similar; only the question stem differs.

This means your approach to SAT practice by topic needs to shift for Reading and Writing:

Read the question stem first, always. Before you touch the passage, understand what skill they're testing. If it says "Which choice best states the main idea," you're in Central Ideas territory. If it asks "Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition," you're working on Transitions.

Focus on question patterns, not passage content. A passage about 15th-century pottery and one about modern physics might test the exact same skill. When practicing "Command of Evidence" questions, notice how the correct answer always directly supports the claim in the question. The subject matter is irrelevant.

Grammar topics require different timing. Standard English Conventions questions (grammar) should take 30-45 seconds each. Information and Ideas questions need 60-90 seconds. When you practice grammar topics, push for speed. When you practice reading comprehension topics, prioritize accuracy first.

The Topics That Appear Most Often (And Deserve Extra Attention)

Not all topics are created equal. Some appear 6-8 times per test; others show up twice if you're lucky.

High-frequency Math topics:

• Linear equations in one and two variables (combined, about 8-10 questions per test)
• Equivalent expressions (4-5 questions)
• Ratios, rates, and percentages (combined, 5-7 questions)
• Nonlinear functions (4-5 questions)

High-frequency Reading and Writing topics:

• Standard English Conventions as a whole (about 26 questions per test—half the section)
• Words in Context (6-8 questions)
• Central Ideas and Details (5-7 questions)
• Transitions (4-5 questions)

If you're short on time, these high-frequency topics give you the best return on investment. A student with two weeks before the test shouldn't spend a full day on "inference from sample statistics"—a topic that appears once, maybe twice. That same day spent on linear equations and grammar conventions will touch 15+ questions.

When Topic Practice Stops Being Useful

Topic-based practice has diminishing returns. After you've done 40-50 questions on a specific topic, you've probably seen every major variation the SAT offers.

The signal that you're ready to move on: You can predict the answer before looking at the choices, and you're scoring above 85% on that topic.

At that point, additional isolated practice doesn't help. You need to practice recognizing that question type when it's mixed with 43 other question types in a real section. That's when you return to full-length practice tests.

Think of topic practice as building tools, and full-length tests as learning when to use which tool. You need both, but you need the tools first.

The Fastest Path to Your Target Score

Here's the schedule that works for most students with 6-8 weeks before test day:

Week 1: Take a full diagnostic practice test. Spend 3-4 hours analyzing your mistakes by topic. Identify your 3-4 weakest areas.

Weeks 2-3: Topic practice exclusively. Spend 4-6 hours per week on your weak topics using the SAT question bank by topic filters. Mix topics within each session (don't do 30 circle questions in a row—do 10 circles, 10 systems of equations, 10 percentages).

Week 4: Take a second full practice test. Re-evaluate weak areas. They should have shifted. Address any persistent problems with another week of targeted practice.

Weeks 5-6: Transition to 60% full practice tests, 40% topic practice. You're now maintaining your improvements while building stamina and pattern recognition across mixed questions.

Week 7: Full practice tests only, under real testing conditions. One test mid-week, one on the weekend. Review mistakes but don't drill topics—you're in maintenance mode.

Week 8: Light practice only. Review your error log and do 10-15 questions per day from your historically weak topics. Rest the day before the test.

This approach consistently produces 80-120 point improvements in my experience. Students who skip the topic practice phase and only do full tests? They plateau after 2-3 tests and gain maybe 40-60 points.

Creating Your Personal Topic Priority List

Grab your most recent practice test results. For every question you missed or guessed on, write down the topic (Bluebook tells you this in the review section).

Tally the topics. You're looking for patterns, not one-offs. If you missed one circle question out of two, that's a 50% accuracy rate—but it's only one mistake. If you missed four out of seven linear equation questions, that's 57% accuracy across a meaningful sample size. The linear equations are your real problem.

Rank your topics by: (Frequency on test × Your error rate)

A topic that appears eight times per test where you have a 40% error rate is a bigger problem than a topic that appears twice where you have a 60% error rate. The first costs you about 3.2 questions per test; the second costs you 1.2 questions.

Focus your topic practice on the highest-scoring items on this list. That's your roadmap.

The Truth About "Hard" Topics vs. "Easy" Topics

Students always ask which topics are hardest. Wrong question.

The hardest topic is whichever one you haven't learned yet. I've seen students breeze through "systems of equations in two variables (nonlinear)"—supposedly an advanced topic—while struggling with "percentages," which sounds basic.

The SAT doesn't have hard topics and easy topics. It has familiar topics and unfamiliar topics. The SAT questions by topic filters let you convert unfamiliar topics into familiar ones through concentrated exposure.

Don't avoid topics because they sound advanced. Don't assume topics are easy because they sound basic. Practice everything, prioritize your personal weak areas, and let the data guide you.

Making Topic Practice Stick Long-Term

Doing 30 questions on quadratic equations today doesn't mean you'll remember quadratics next month. Spaced repetition matters.

After you complete intensive practice on a topic (25-30 questions over a few days), schedule review sessions:

• Three days later: 5-7 questions on that topic
• One week later: 5-7 more questions
• Two weeks later: 5-7 questions in a mixed set with other topics

This spacing pattern cements the patterns in long-term memory. Students who do this retain 85-90% of their improvements. Students who practice a topic once and never return? They retain maybe 60%.

Build these review sessions into your study calendar when you first start working on a topic. Don't wait until you "feel like" reviewing—you won't feel like it, and you'll forget.

Your Next Steps

Open Bluebook right now. Navigate to the question bank. Pick your weakest section (Math or Reading and Writing). Apply a topic filter for something you know you struggle with.

Do 10 questions. Timed. Review your mistakes immediately.

That's 15 minutes of focused practice that will improve your score more than an hour of unfocused full-test practice. The SAT question bank by topic feature is the most underutilized tool in test prep, and now you know exactly how to use it.

Stop taking practice test after practice test hoping your score magically improves. Start targeting your specific weak areas with surgical precision. That's how you actually improve.