What to Bring to the SAT and What Not to Bring

After months of planning and prepping, test day is finally upon you! What exactly do you need to bring to the SAT—and what should you just leave home?

We’ll talk about what to bring to the SAT for certain and some not so obvious things that might come in handy. Make sure your bag is packed and ready to go so you can focus on performing your best—and not on tracking down a pencil sharpener!

What to Bring on SAT Day: The 3 Essentials

First things first: what must you bring to the SAT? Here are the three essentials you cannot afford to forget on test day:

#1: Admission Ticket

If possible, print out your admission ticket and bring it to the testing center. A paper copy of your ticket is strongly preferred for admission. However, if necessary you can show it on your cell phone, tablet, etc.

To print it out, log into your College Board account and click on "Print Admission Ticket."

#2: Photo ID

Your photo ID should resemble the picture you uploaded to the College Board website when you registered for the SAT. Below is a list of acceptable and unacceptable forms of ID:

• Unexpired government-issued IDs (e.g., driver’s license, passport, military ID, national ID, etc.)

• Current school ID card

• Student ID Form, if you don’t have any of the other forms; this form must be prepared by the school you currently attend or by a notary if you are home-schooled

Unacceptable IDs include IDs that are expired or damaged or do not match your College Board photo.

Some unacceptable forms of ID include the following:

• Credit or debit cards (even ones with photographs)
• Birth certificates
• Social Security cards
• Employee ID cards
• ChildFind ID cards
• Other temporary ID cards

#3: An Approved Testing Device 

Since the SAT is administered digitally, you'll need an approved computing device (a laptop or tablet) to take the exam. The chart below outlines the College Board's requirements.

You will also need to make sure your device is fully charged and has the Bluebook app installed.

As long as you have these three items—your admission ticket, your ID, and an approved device—you should have no trouble being admitted into the SAT.

Now that you know things to bring to the SAT, let’s consider a few other materials that might help you out during the test.

Other Items You Might Want to Bring to the SAT

In addition to the four essentials, what other items can you bring to the SAT? Here are some of our recommendations for things that might come in handy on SAT test day:

• Pens or pencils for note-taking. If you prefer keeping notes or working out questions on paper, make sure to bring writing utensils. The test proctors will provide paper.
  
  
• A drink and snacks for your breaks. These will likely have to stay in your bag, in a locker, or up at the test administrator’s desk and will have to be consumed outside of the testing room. The SAT is a long test; drinks and snacks will help you stay hydrated, energized, and focused.
  
  
• A watch, as long as it doesn’t have any audible alarms or noises. If it'll help you keep track of time, bring one along. If you just find it distracting, though, leave it at home! And remember that the Bluebook app includes a built-in timer.
  
  
• Your calculator, if you want one in addition to the built-in graphing calculator. Acceptable calculators include graphing calculators, scientific calculators, and basic four-function calculators. Learn all about the uses and limitations of your calculator with our guide.
  
  
• A charging cord or back-up battery, especially if you're concerned your device will run out of power.

These extras and backup materials might prove helpful the day of the SAT. Now, what should you definitely not bring on SAT test day?

What NOT to Bring to the SAT

There are lots of prohibited items when it comes to SAT test day. We’ll list a few below, but your best bet is to avoid bringing anything that’s not recommended on the above lists:

• Any technology besides approved devices, especially anything with communication or recording capabilities. This means no cell phones, laptops, tablets, timers, cameras, or audio recorders. The College Board takes security very seriously, as you can tell from these high-profile cheating scandals.

• Any notes, cheat sheets, dictionaries, translators, books, or papers.

To reiterate, if you must bring your cell phone, turn it off well before the test. If it beeps even just once, your proctor will confiscate it and cancel your test immediately.

Getting Ready for SAT Test Day: 5 Key Tips

Now that you know exactly what to bring (and not bring) to the SAT, how can you ensure that you are prepared to do your best on the test? Read on to learn how you can have a great SAT test day:

#1: Prepare Ahead of Time

Get all your materials gathered and packed the day before your test. You definitely don’t want to be scrambling in the morning trying to track down your tablet. This would cause a whole lot of unnecessary anxiety and could make you late (and therefore ineligible) for the test! So get everything taken care of at least the day before.

#2: Test Your Device

Before the SAT, check that the device you're using to take the test is working properly. Make sure the Bluebook app is installed and running smoothly and that your device is fully charged.

#3: Print Out Multiple Copies of Your Admission Ticket

It's a good idea to print out a few copies of your SAT admission ticket, just in case. If you don’t have a printer, you can get this taken care of at school, your local library, or another printing center such as Staples. Remember that you will not be admitted on test day without this ticket.

As mentioned above, don’t wait until the morning of or late the night before the SAT to print out your ticket. It’s a strange and inexplicable rule of printers that they tend to malfunction right before a big test or due date. So print out two or three copies early and save yourself the hassle!

#4: Practice Self-Care

Self-care is important in general but especially in the days leading up to the SAT.

The morning of the test, eat a healthy breakfast. Exercising the day before (and in general) might also aid in easing your stress levels and clearing your mind. Don’t underestimate the power of diet and exercise in feeling good and thinking clearly!

#5: Double-Check That You've Got Everything You Need

Finally, make a checklist and double-check your bag one last time before you head to your testing center. After all your preparation, your focus should be wholly on the SAT. By having all these materials taken care of, you'll be poised to perform your best!

What’s Next?

One of the biggest challenges of the SAT is to perform under strict time limits. Learn the best strategies for managing your time on the SAT, and get the rundown of what to expect on test day.

The best test prep is customized to your individual strengths and goals. What SAT scores are you hoping to achieve? Define your target SAT scores by learning what good, bad, and excellent scores look like.

When do SAT scores come out? Learn all about when you can expect your scores.