13 Free SAT Practice Tests to Boost Scores

If you aim to boost your SAT scores, there's no better way than to write as many practice SAT tests as possible. They will make you improve in the areas you are weak in and be prepared for the actual exam on test day.

The good news is there are a number of free practice tests for SAT available online. The challenge is to know where to find them.

Which is exactly why we're writing this guide. We'll share where you can access all the free practice tests. They resemble the actual SAT even if they aren't all official practice tests. These SAT practice tests will help you fine-tune your strategies and ace the SAT.

Let's get going!

1. CollegeBoard tests for SAT practice

In order to succeed at a test, you want to practice on tests that resemble the original one as accurately as possible. In the case of the digital SAT, CollegeBoard is where you turn to.

The CollegeBoard offers you two ways to access the official practice tests.

a. Digital SAT practice tests

You can access the tests through the official Bluebook app. This app will give you the exact test experience.

Remember, the actual full SAT score is adaptive - it will adjust based on your performance. You can experience the adaptive nature of the test only through a digital interface (an iPad or a laptop, for instance), and not with a pencil-and-paper version.

Download the app here.

What makes them special

• Tests created by the official testing body.
• Gives you a real test-like experience.
• Adaptive like the actual SAT.

b. Full-length Linear SAT practice tests

The downloadable full-length tests are about 56 pages each (just in case you were thinking of getting them printed). This is an invaluable resource for students with approved accommodation for the paper-based test.

Here's what a typical test looks like:

And here's what the detailed explanations would look like:

Here's the complete list of the six CollegeBoard practice SATs, along with their solutions:

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 1 Answers and Explanations to Test 1

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 2 Answers and Explanations to Test 2

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 3 Answers and Explanations to Test 3

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 4 Answers and Explanations to Test 4

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 5 Answers and Explanations to Test 5

CollegeBoard Official Practice SAT Test 6 Answers and Explanations to Test 6

What makes them special

• A crucial resource for students who are permitted to take the digital SAT in a paper format
• Detailed answers and explanations from the test-makers giving you an idea of how they think
• The most number of practice tests - more than anywhere else - and that too from the official body, i.e. CollegeBoard

2. EdisonOS free SAT practice test

Before you take the official SAT, you want to be sure you're ready. And it's not just answers to practice questions that you must be ready for.

You'll need an appropriate strategy because the current SAT is digital and adaptive. The adaptive nature of the test means all questions will not carry the same weight: getting four questions correct in the adaptive section may be worth more than getting five questions correct in the baseline section.

That's precisely why you should attempt practice tests that closely mimic the real SAT.

Here's what makes these SAT practice tests special

There are three very strong reasons these practice tests are way better than other practice tests you'll find anywhere else.

1. These tests are based on the official practice questions. Which means it's about as close the real tests as you can get.
2. EdisonOS goes beyond just using the questions and format that mirror what you'll find on the official College Board's Bluebook App. They created the practice tests in a way that the difficulty level of each question matches that of actual SATs. If you are looking for the best SAT resources, you’ll probably not find anything better.
3. These tests are adaptive in just the way actual SATs are. That means students will see questions of the same domain and difficulty level and test the same skills as the SAT. There’s no way you can more accurately mimic the actual SAT.

The image below might give you an idea of the level of detail EdisonOS has put into creating these tests.

EdisonOS analyzed the domain, difficulty level, and skill tested for each question and then matched it with the SAT. Writing a mock SAT designed by EdisonOS will give you the most accurate feedback about your performance.

What you get after the tests

Do you know what's more important than anything during your SAT preparations? Post-test analysis. So, in EdisonOS, in addition to the ample practice on the test-like interface, you get:

• Detailed explanations for each answer to improving your SAT skills.
• Practice on the exact structure that SAT uses.
• Exact SAT-like test layout.

The kind of detailed analysis you get is unparalleled.

EdisonOS breaks down the performance into three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The student sees their performance for each difficulty level. The red part of the ring shows questions that the student got wrong, while the green part shows questions that the student got right. All it takes to get an overview is a glance, see?

Then, the student gets detailed, question-wise feedback for each question. See below:

Taking an SAT practice test is always a good idea. But such extensive feedback changes the game completely. You can make more improvements than ever, focus where you need to, and walk into the test centre feeling genuinely confident on the test day.

3. Kaplan test

Kaplan has been preparing and tutoring students for the SAT for many years. Hence, one can expect them to understand the nitty-gritty of tests rather closely. This, therefore, becomes the key reason why test takers should consider taking the test.

Along with your scores, you will receive a report about your strengths and weaknesses once you finish the test. In addition to that, you will have access to some additional practice material.

What makes it special

• One full-length practice test.
• Includes detailed instructions for the test.
• Comes from Kaplan, a well-known name in test prep.

A word of caution

We’re not sure why they did this, but Kaplan has made taking the test a little difficult. When you sign up to take the free test, they need the email address of your parent or guardian (unusual, but okay).

What's strange is that to access the test, your school or guardian/parent needs to digitally approve it. Until they receive the confirmation, Kaplan won’t allow you to proceed with the free test.

Kaplan's free SAT practice test is availabl here.

4. The Princeton Review free mock SAT

The Princeton Review is another well-known name in test prep with a good history of SAT coaching. Their website says they've invested much time in preparing for the SAT practice tests. You can get a couple of articles on studying better and brighter along with the free SAT practice test.

What makes it special

• The Princeton Review uses an authentic test-like look and feel.
• Questions and formats resemble the actual SAT practice test.
• Signing up is entirely hassle-free.

Sign up here for The Princeton Review’s free mock SAT.

5. Khan Academy free mock SAT

You don’t need to be told that Khan Academy provides its courses and SAT practice tests free of cost. Whether you’re wondering how you’ll do in the math section or whether you are aiming for the perfect score in the actual SAT, Khan Academy resources are always great to check out.

What makes it special

• Well-organized resource library, including video resources.
• It is a non-profit, so all resources are free.
• Available round the year.

You may access all the important free resources for SAT on this page.

Other tests to consider

You may want to check out a few other free tests

1. Blueprep
2. GalvanizeTestPrep
3. TestGuide

Bonus: Sectional tests 

Technically, they’re not full mock SATs but sectional tests. 

4Tests

• 3 sectional tests on Math (21 questions, 21 questions, and 25 questions), and
• 2 sectional tests on Critical Reading (25 questions each)
• Matching SAT levels

You can write the tests here.

VarsityTutors

• Practice across different sections available
• Some access to videos for tests-taking tips
• Multiple sectional tests are available

You may sign up for the sectional tests here. The signup is quite simple.

What makes these SAT practice tests special

As we said, they aren’t a full SAT but a series of sectional tests. They are suitable for you if you’re midway through your preparations and need a few tests to understand things.

Alternatively, you may use these tests when you're doing much better in one section than in the other.

Frequently asked questions about the free SAT practice tests

1. How is a printed, linear test different from an adaptive test I might take on a device?

While the questions may be the same, identical, or comparable, the experience of a paper-based test differs from that of an adaptive test you take on a device.

Here are the three principal differences:

1. A device will give you an adaptive test. This means it will adjust the difficulty level of the questions based on how well you performed on the previous set of questions. That feature is completely absent in a paper-based test.
2. A device will have an inbuilt timer. Hence, it won't let you go beyond the time limits. With a paper-based test, you'll need to time it yourself accurately, or you might end up cheating unknowingly on time limits.
3. With a paper-based practice test, you can quickly flip through the pages of the test booklet if that helps you get a 'feel' of the test. With a computer-based test, that's impossible - you see only 1 question at a time.

2. If a paper-based test differs from a written computer-based test, how can I make the most of the printed practice test?

You can leverage every opportunity to practice when you approach your test prep correctly. Here are five things that will help you come closer to achieving a perfect score on the SAT:

1. Constant learning: You often learn more when you make mistakes than when you succeed. So closely review every question you get wrong. A wrong answer is typically a result of your faulty understanding of the question, incorrect application of the domain concepts, or mistakes arising from haste (or some combination of these). 
2. Breaking down: Don’t be content with your total score. Pore closely over various question types and make notes on what you’re still faltering on.
3. Simulation: Even while practicing, keep in mind that the Bluebook app will have tools like ‘Mark for review’ for testing. Use your pencil to mark questions that you’d like to review upon returning or cross out choices you think are incorrect. Small habits will add up to success.
4. Environment: When you sit down to write a practice test, try to create a similar environment. For instance, don’t lie down on a bed and go through the questions like you’re reading a light paperback. Just because you aren’t at a test centre after showing your admission ticket shouldn’t reduce the importance of practising.
5. Reading: The SAT doesn’t test your reading skills only in the language section. How quickly and accurately you understand even the math question you read impacts your score. You can improve this skill equally on a digital or PDF test.