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 of the following processes is essential for converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants? → Nitrogen fixation
2. What is the primary function of ribosomes? → Protein synthesis
3. Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic reproductive isolating mechanism? → The offspring of a horse and a donkey, a mule, is sterile.
4. During anaphase of mitosis, what separates and moves toward opposite poles of the cell? → Sister chromatids
5. Which system removes metabolic waste from the body? → Excretory system
6. Which of the following correctly traces the path of deoxygenated blood as it enters the heart and is pumped toward the lungs? → Superior Vena Cava → Right Atrium → Right Ventricle → Pulmonary Artery
7. How many haploid cells are produced from a single diploid cell that undergoes complete meiosis? → 4
8. Which of the following events characterizes telophase of mitosis? → Nuclear envelopes reform around each set of chromosomes at the poles
9. Which nutrient is the main energy source for cells? → Glucose
10. Which of the following enzymes is responsible for unzipping the DNA double helix by breaking the bonds between complementary bases to initiate replication? → DNA helicase
11. Which process describes water movement through an ecosystem? → Water cycle
12. What does a Punnett square illustrate? → Trait inheritance
13. The upward movement of water through the xylem in a 30-meter tall oak tree is best explained by which of the following? → The cohesion of water molecules and the tension created by transpiration.
14. What is the carrying capacity of an environment? → Maximum sustainable population
15. What is genetic drift? → Genetic drift
16. A red-flowered snapdragon is crossed with a white-flowered snapdragon, and all the offspring have pink flowers. This pattern of inheritance is known as: → Incomplete dominance
17. Which phase of meiosis most closely resembles mitosis because sister chromatids (not homologs) separate? → Meiosis II
18. Which hormone regulates blood sugar? → Insulin
19. A man with type AB blood and a woman with type O blood have a child. What is the probability that their child will have type A blood? → 50%
20. What is the primary result of cytokinesis following mitosis? → Division of the cytoplasm into two separate daughter cells
21. What is homeostasis? → Maintaining internal balance
22. What structure holds sister chromatids together at their junction prior to their separation during cell division? → Centromere
23. The spindle apparatus is primarily composed of which cellular structure? → Microtubules (tubulin)
24. Which processes during meiosis most directly contribute to genetic variation in offspring? → Crossing over during prophase I and independent assortment of homologs
25. Which part of the cell contains genetic material? → Nucleus
26. The Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions) of photosynthesis is responsible for which of the following processes? → Fixing carbon dioxide into organic molecules.
27. In the overall equation for cellular respiration, C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP, the oxygen (O2) molecules are primarily used during which stage? → The Electron Transport Chain
28. What is the function of the skeletal system? → Support and movement
29. What component of the cytoskeleton helps maintain cell shape and assists in movement? → Microtubules
30. During which phase of mitosis do chromosomes align along the cell's equatorial plate? → Metaphase