# SAT Student-Produced Response: Grid-In Rules | topin SAT guidesStudent-produced response Section Math, about 25% of questions, mixed in with multiple choice Length Up to 5 characters for a positive answer, 6 for a negative (minus sign included) Accepted Integers, decimals, fractions (no need to reduce), negatives Not accepted Mixed numbers, %, $, commas or units Several answers If more than one value works, enter any one of them ## How it works You solve the question and type a number into the entry box; an answer preview shows how it will be read. The decimal point and the fraction bar each count as a character. If a fraction does not fit, enter its decimal; if a decimal does not fit, round or truncate it so that it uses every available character. These questions are the old paper grid-ins, but on the digital SAT negative answers are allowed. ## Worked example If 5(x − 1) = 2x + 3, what is the value of x? Show the answer 8/3 (also accepted: 2.666 or 2.667) Expand: 5x − 5 = 2x + 3\. Subtract 2x and add 5: 3x = 8, so x = 8/3\. The fraction 8/3 fits in three characters, so enter 8/3\. As a decimal it is 2.6666…, which must fill all five characters: 2.666 or 2.667 are accepted, but 2.66 and 2.67 are marked wrong because they stop early. The mixed number 2 2/3 is not accepted at all. ## A method for Student-produced response 1. 1 ### Solve as usual, then reread the question With no choices to catch a slip, confirm you have the quantity asked for, in the units asked for. 2. 2 ### Prefer the exact fraction If the answer is a fraction that fits in five characters, such as 8/3 or -7/12 (six with the minus), enter it as it is. It does not need to be reduced. 3. 3 ### Fill the box with long decimals If you enter a decimal that does not end, use every character: 0.666 or .6667 for 2/3, not 0.67\. Rounding or truncating at the last place are both accepted. 4. 4 ### Never type a mixed number 3 1/2 is read as 31/2\. Enter 7/2 or 3.5 instead. 5. 5 ### Check the answer preview Make sure the preview shows the number you meant, especially for fractions and negatives. ## Traps to avoid * A decimal cut short, such as .66 or 0.67 for 2/3, which is marked wrong. * A mixed number such as 2 2/3, which is not accepted. * Adding % or $ to the answer, or typing a unit. * Entering an intermediate value, such as x, when the question asks for 3x. ## Student-produced response FAQs Can SAT grid-in answers be negative? Yes, on the digital SAT. You get up to six characters for a negative answer, including the minus sign, and five for a positive one. Do I need to reduce fractions in SAT typed answers? No. Any equivalent fraction that fits is accepted, so 14/4 and 7/2 both count. How do I enter a repeating decimal on the SAT? Round or truncate it so it fills every available character. For 2/3, enter .6666, .6667, 0.666 or 0.667; shorter versions such as 0.67 are wrong. How many typed-answer questions are on SAT Math? About a quarter of the 44 Math questions, or roughly five or six per module, mixed in among the multiple-choice questions. ## Try Student-produced response under real timing Your first full-length SAT mock is free, with every section included. [Take the free mock ](/sat/login)