In order to study effectively for the SAT, it's important to use practice tests that test the same strategy and content as the SAT does. With the major 2016 SAT overhaul, this means turning to updated, more recent materials.
Official College Board practice tests are the gold standard when it comes to prep materials. Here, you'll find free links to all official SAT practice tests, essays, answer keys, and scoring guides, along with tips and strategies for how to use them.
You might notice, though, that there's a limit to how many free official SAT resources are available. For those who want to prep with other high-quality SAT practice problems and tests,we offer you some useful alternatives to official practice tests.
Free Official SAT Practice Tests
These following tests are the only free official practice tests for the current version of the SAT. If you need preparatory material, these practice tests are the best things you can use.
In order to prepare effectively for the SAT, you'll want to use practice problems that test the same content in the same ways and with the same timing restrictions as the actual test.
If you use sub-par practice materials, you might be doing yourself more harm than good by preparing for things that won't actually help you on the SAT—this ultimately just wastes your time and leaves you under-prepared, even if you study hard.
Actual SAT practice tests from the College Board meet all the criteria listed above because they're written by the makers of the SAT.
Currently, there are 8 SAT practice tests available for download on the College Board website:
Practice Test 1: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 3: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 5: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 6: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 7: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 8: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 9: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 10: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Where Are Practice Tests 2 and 4?
You probably noticed that Practice Test 2 and Practice Test 4 are missing from the section above. That's because the College Board has removed them from their list of officially available practice tests.
If you've already worked through the first eight official practice tests and want to keep working on test-taking skills like time management and strategy, then these exams are a great option!
Practice Test 2: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
Practice Test 4: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay
How to Use Official SAT Practice Tests Effectively
With a limited number of official SAT practice tests available, you'll want to make sure that you use each and every practice problem as effectively and efficiently as possible. Follow these steps to get the most out of the official tests.
#1: Mimic Official Testing Conditions
You need to use official practice tests because they're as close to the real SAT as you can get. In order to get the most out of them, you should also recreate real SAT testing conditions as best you can.
This means you should do the following:
- Take each test straight through in a single sitting, if possible. The SAT test requires an extended period of intense focus—the more you practice these marathon testing sessions, the better off you'll be on test day.
- Time each section carefully. Many students have issues with timing on the SAT test. Giving yourself any extra time (even just a couple minutes) on one section could lead you to believe that you're performing better than you actually are.
Even if you can't take a whole practice SAT straight through, be sure you time each section appropriately.
#2: Do a Post-Mortem After Every Test
The whole point of investing time and energy in SAT practice is to learn from your mistakes and improve your score. If you do a ton of practice but never figure out where you're messing up, your scores won't get better—it's as simple as that.
For more tips on how to analyze your practice materials, read our guide on the best way to review your mistakes on the SAT.
#3: Don't Use These Practice Tests All at Once
With only 10 official practice tests, you're limited when it comes to optimal practice materials. As such, it's important to pace yourself and use the official tests wisely.
This means that you should only move on to the next practice test after you've thoroughly reviewed your mistakes from the previous one. You might even want to redo tough questions (after a waiting period) to see whether you can figure them out after going back over the material.
What Are Your Other Options for SAT Practice Materials?
These official SAT tests are a good place to start, but you could run out of practice material quickly if you have an intensive study plan. Here are some other options you have for getting your hands on quality study materials.
Use PSAT Practice Tests
The PSAT is created by the College Board (the makers of the SAT) and very closely resembles the SAT. Though not a perfect match, the PSAT is extremely similar to what you'll see on the SAT. As a result, official PSAT practice tests can be great alternatives to SAT practice tests.
You can find a complete list of PSAT practice tests in our guide.
Get an SAT Prep Book
You should have the same concerns about SAT prep books that you do about free online SAT prep materials: you want to make sure that they're as close to the real deal as possible so you can study effectively.
If you choose to get an SAT prep book, take care to buy a highly rated, legitimate resource.
You can start by checking out our guide to the best SAT books—it's updated regularly so you know you're getting the most up-to-date recommendations.
Use Other College Board Resources
The College Board has other practice materials available besides their complete official practice tests. You can check out individual practice questions on their website for the Math, Reading, Writing and Language, and Essay sections.
You can also use College Board-approved practice problems on Khan Academy. Although this is a great resource, keep in mind that there are problems with just relying on this service to prepare for the SAT.
Use Free Unofficial SAT Practice Tests (With Caution)
Free unofficial SAT practice tests can be good resources for students who will be doing a lot of prep and require supplementary materials.
That said, there are a few things to be wary of when you look for unofficial tests:
- Free test-prep materials, by virtue of being free, are often lower quality than paid prep materials are
- They might not test the same content in the same way that you'll see on the real SAT
These tests might be particularly helpful if you're already a high scorer and want to do a deep dive into what makes official materials different from unofficial ones.
Ultimately, unofficial tests are best for untimed SAT content review. Don't worry if you end up coming across any weird question types or content—you can simply skip these.
Start your search for unofficial tests with our massive guide to free SAT prep materials.
Be careful to think critically about how unofficial materials differ from the real SAT.
Use PrepScholar to Stay Linked In
PrepScholar will always be a great, free, and reliable resource for students trying to prep for the SAT. Our SAT blog is constantly updated to keep up with changing test content and strategy.
Some of our most popular posts on the SAT include the following:
- How to Get a Perfect 1600 SAT Score, by a 2400 Expert Full Scorer
- Complete Guide to the New SAT in 2016
- How to Study for the New 2016 SAT
- New 2016 SAT: What's a Good Score?
- The New SAT vs the ACT: Full Breakdown
- Best SAT Prep Books 2019
What's Next?
Still looking for more SAT resources? Then check out our complete collection of free SAT prep materials and learn how to use old SAT practice tests to study for the current version of the test.
You'll also need to make sure you understand what's on each section: Math, Reading, Writing, and the Essay.
And don't forget to read up on the best tips and tricks for acing the SAT!
