The lack of official Digital SAT© tests from the College Board has been frustrating students for 2 years. Good News! The College Board has announced that current tests 1-3 will be removed, and tests 4-6 will remain. A new test 7 will be added, and tests 8-10 will be a combination of questions from tests 1-3 and new questions.
I have been teaching the SAT since 2001, and have survived several of these changes to the SAT©. Frequently, the initial sample tests are not well aligned with the tests students take. This change signals that tests 1-3 have questions that are not well aligned. The new tests 8-10 will better match the current digital SAT©.
What should I do?
If you haven’t taken tests 1-3 in the Bluebook App already, please don’t rush to do them. Tests 8-10 will contain some of the same questions, and you don’t want to skew your practice with the new tests. Because even with these additions, the number of available tests is limited. You should plan your use of the practice tests.
Try to reserve 1 or 2 tests for the 2 weeks before your official test date. Take these tests under realistic conditions: use accurate timing, use the computer you plan to use on test day, and take the test at 9 am.
Timing is important
Students sometimes give themselves too much leeway and extend their time or break up the test and complete it on different day. Consequently, they are not getting an accurate idea of what it is like to take the test under realistic conditions.
Use the Same Equpiment
Use whatever computer or tablet you will have to use on test day. This will make sure your equipment functions well. Problems with technology can include not enough battery for the whole test, problems connecting to Wi-Fi, incompatible operating systems, updates needed, and background programs. That last one is important. Your test can be cancelled if the College board thinks there is the possibility of cheating. Any program running in the background can make this seem to be the case. Learn how to shut everything down on the system aside from the Bluebook App.
Take the Test at 9 am
I know, this one is going to hurt. On the real test day, you will be expected to arrive before 8 am at the testing center. This allows for sufficient time to check everyone in and get set up. If mornings are tough for you, I suggest getting your body ready to be active and mind alert for this test by practicing at the right time.
Don’t waste this resource
The Digital SAT© tests are a limited resource, so don’t rush to complete them all if you have not done preparation first. Make a plan for spreading them across your preparation time and be conservative when using them.
https://bluebook.collegeboard.org/students/download-bluebook
The Digital SAT© is a trademark of the College Board which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this information.