Guide to the Digital SAT—2025

Last year, the famous three-hour, pencil-and-paper, bubble-filling, 1600-point test that has been a gateway to college for decades was replaced by a shiny, new, digital version.  That’s right: the SAT is no longer administered in a physical format, and all test takers will now take it on a computer.  Post-pandemic, the College Board—the company that administers the SAT—decided to take advantage of the shifting educational landscape to pilot a digital version of the exam. The digital version was so successful that the College Board decided to institute those changes permanently. In this blog, we’ll be reviewing everything you need to know about the Digital SAT.

What is the Structure of the Digital SAT?

The Digital SAT has two main sections: 1) Reading and Writing and 2) Math. Each section is divided into two more sections, with 32 minutes for each 27-question Reading section and 35 minutes for each 22-question Math section. In total, the Digital SAT is about two hours long instead of three. It also has fewer questions, meaning that you’ll have more time for each. Moreover, calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section.

Perhaps the most significant change about the Digital SAT is that it is adaptive. This means that the difficulty of the second module for each subject will be determined by your performance in the first module. For example, if you do quite well on the first module, you’ll get a more challenging second module, and vice versa. That said, you have to qualify for the more challenging module in order to earn the highest score.

Finally, the College Board has also streamlined the score report process, with Digital SAT scores returned in days rather than weeks. 

What are the Benefits of the Digital SAT?

In addition to reduced testing time and a more streamlined experience, the Digital SAT also allows for increased access to standardized testing. 

Educators who participated in the College Board’s Digital SAT pilot said that it was as easy or easier to administer than the paper exam. Also, 83% of Fall 2023 test-takers reported that they preferred the Digital SAT to the paper version. This ease could allow school districts to host more exam dates and times rather than a simple fixed date and time for the proctored paper exam. Ultimately, more diverse and traditionally underserved groups of students could then take the exam, easing their path to a college education. 

The College Board also points to independent research that shows that students are much more likely to take the SAT if it is offered in school, for free, during regular school hours. Additionally, in states that require students to take a college entrance exam (and provide the means to do so), exam completion rates jump to 99 percent. 

“It’s encouraging to see the positive feedback from students and educators who participated in the pilots for the digital SAT. The changes to the test are timely and clearly centered around improving the student experience,” said Ronné Turner, Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid at Washington University in St. Louis. “I’m pleased that the greater flexibility in administering the test will expand access to SAT School Day, which research shows increases college-going rates for low-income students.”

What are the Challenges of the Digital SAT?

The main challenge of the Digital SAT is its format. While you can annotate reading passages, graphs, and other questions on-screen, you’ll need to use a special highlighter and note tool to do so. These tools could throw you off if you’re not familiar with them. In addition, the built-in Desmos calculator may take some getting used to. We recommend practicing with it ahead of time or making sure to bring your own.

Luckily, there’s a great way to prepare—take plenty of Digital SAT practice tests in the digital format! (These are available via Bluebook.) Although paper versions of the digital test can be helpful from a content mastery and test strategy standpoint, they won’t give you an opportunity to master the digital tools you’ll be using the day of the exam.

Bottom line: The more comfortable and familiar you are with the format of the exam, the better you’ll do on test day.

What Devices Can I Use For the Exam?

You will be able to use your own laptops or desktop computers to take the exam. Alternatively, you can use one provided by your school. If you can’t access a computer to take the SAT for any reason, the College Board will provide a device to the student. 

If you need to request and use a device from the College Board, you’ll need to do so 30 days before test day. Anyone who needs to borrow a device will need to make this request when they register for the test, so be sure to plan far in advance. This will ensure that you are able to make a request. 

According to the College Board, the rules for devices are as follows: 

“You can take the digital SAT with any personal or school-managed Windows laptop or tablet, personal or school-managed Mac laptop or iPad, or school-managed Chromebook (personal Chromebooks aren’t permitted). 

If you don’t have a device, we recommend you borrow one from your school, a family member, or a friend, so you can download the testing application and get familiar with the device.”

You’ll also have to fulfill digital testing technical requirements, which involve downloading Bluebook—the app through which you’ll be taking the exam—and completing an exam setup procedure at least a day in advance of your test.

Worried about tech blips? Don’t worry—the test has also been engineered so that you won’t lose progress on the exam if you somehow lose internet connectivity or if your power suddenly goes out. 

Digital SAT Practice and Preparation Tips and Tricks

Start well in advance—at least three to six months before your test date.

1. First, go to the College Board’s website and download the Bluebook app, which you’ll also need on test day. If possible, complete this step—and practice taking the exam—on the device you’ll be taking the test on. 
2. Take a full-length practice test in the Bluebook app. This will help you get a sense of your “baseline” as well as the overall test format.
3. Continue taking practice tests every few weeks. After each test, pay close attention to where you struggled and focus on those areas. Use our SAT Score Calculator to help you!
4. Five days before test day, complete your exam setup and get your admission ticket. 
5. On test day, arrive with everything you need and want from the lists above. Check your admission ticket, and take the digital SAT. 

What to Bring on Test Day: The College Board-Approved Checklist

Must Haves: 

• Your fully charged laptop or computer 
  • Be sure to bring a power cord and/or a portable charger, but know that the College Board does not guarantee that you will have access to an outlet. Your computer should be able to hold a charge for 3-4 hours.
• The Digital SAT app fully installed on your device with exam setup complete 
  • Download Bluebook and complete the setup before test day.
  • Make sure you plan ahead and leave time for troubleshooting.
• A pen or pencil 
  • Your testing site will provide scratch paper that you can use during the test. 
• A calculator
  • The Digital SAT has a built-in graphing calculator, but you can bring your own external calculator if you prefer, or want a familiar backup. 
• Computer accessories that help you navigate your device 
  • An external mouse, if you use one.
  • An external keyboard, if you use one. Note that these can only be used with tablets, not laptops.
• An approved photo ID (if you’re homeschooled or testing at a school that’s different from the one you usually attend)

Nice to Have:

• A watch without an alarm 
• Extra batteries for your calculator and backup devices (if you need them, make sure to ask for permission to access them!) 
• A bag or a backpack 
• A drink or snacks (for the break) 
• EpiPens and other types of epinephrine auto-injectors. You do not need to have an accommodation to carry a prescribed EpiPen.

Additional Resources

Up to your eyeballs in everything SAT? Check out the blog posts below:

• SAT Score Calculator
• SAT Test Dates
• Best SAT and ACT Tutors
• Average SAT Scores Over Time
• When Do SAT Scores Come Out?
• Hardest SAT Math Questions
• Twenty SAT Grammar Rules