Additional Digital SAT® Resources When You Run Out of Practice Tests
If you have finished the 6 Bluebook® practice Digital SAT® tests, you are probably thinking to yourself: What do I do now?
As a tutor, I experience this problem myself. After a month or two, it is very possible the student I am working with has completed all of the official practice tests, or maybe they want to save a few official tests until they get closer to their test date.
While there were tons of practice tests lurking around the internet when the old SAT® was offered, there are fewer options for the new Digital SAT®.
If you are faced with this problem, there are three types of resources you should look into:
Extra Practice Tests
Specific Practice Problems
Test Advice/Strategies
Within each of these categories, I will give you a few paid and some free options to help you continue to practice and reach your goal score.
Extra Practice Tests
This is the one category that has few free options. Test prep companies understand how valuable extra test practice can be and take advantage of it by developing their own tests that are supposed to model the actual Digital SAT®. Please note, however, that these other tests are not official Digital SAT® tests. While they are not official, these test prep companies tend to do a solid job of modeling their tests after the official Digital SAT® practice tests.
Resource #1 – The Princeton Review ($38.25)
I’ve been using this version of The Princeton Review Digital SAT® prep with my students and have really enjoyed it. You’ll have to buy the book on Amazon, but I recommend using it to access the 4 practice tests you can take online.
I love it because the tests are online—mimicking what you’ll be seeing on test day.
Resource #2 – BluePrep (1 Test – Free, 3 Tests - $60/year, 9 Test - $160/year)
I have not personally used the BluePrep tests yet, but I have heard good things so far. Watch this review video if you have any questions. The format has the look and feel of a real Digital SAT®, and the number of tests they offer is hard to beat.
Resource #3 – Test Ninjas (1 Practice Test – Free)
Test Ninjas is a great resource for any SAT® questions you may have. They offer one practice test for free, and I highly recommend taking it. You can then use their additional test-taking strategies and resources, which I will also discuss later in this article.
Specific Practice Problems
I am a huge proponent of taking as many practice tests as possible before taking the SAT®. I think understanding how to navigate the Digital SAT®, familiarizing yourself with using DESMOS and the digital format, and practicing your timing are all essential for mastering the test. HOWEVER, you won’t see significant gains on your practice test scores if you do not take the time to understand which types of questions you are getting wrong and learn from your mistakes. The following resources are vital for practicing by question type.
Resource #4 – The Official Digital SAT® Question Bank (Free)
This is my FAVORITE resource of them all. There are HUNDREDS of free practice questions within this inventory, all of which are official Digital SAT® questions. After you take a practice test, I recommend reviewing your answers, identifying the question category/type of questions you are getting wrong, and completing all of the practice questions in that category from the question bank before your next test.
The question bank also comes with answers and explanations for all the questions. I can’t recommend it enough. The only issue is that the questions are on paper, so you won’t be taking them in the typical online format.
Resource #5 – Khan Academy (Free)
Khan Academy is great for test-takers who need a bit more guidance in their practice. They have in-depth articles, videos, and tons of practice problems for each category. I think it is best for someone who needs to start at the basics. Khan Academy will help you master the foundations and then level up to the more difficult problems.
Resource #6 – IXL (Free)
Perhaps the least user-friendly website on our resources list, I like using IXL for quick practice problems with my students. It is very easy to access and reuse, and everything is free!
Test Advice/Strategies
Resource #7 – YouTube
When in doubt, go to YouTube. There are endless videos from tutors and top scorers that go beyond the practice problems—they show you how to take the test. Many of the practice websites won’t show you the tips and tricks that YouTube or a private tutor will provide. For any question you have on the Digital SAT®, I’d recommend searching it on YouTube.
Resource #8 - Test Ninjas
I mentioned Test Ninjas before and said I’d come back to them. I highly recommend reviewing their quick guides for general SAT® tips, tricks, and other things like math formulas and grammar rules.
Resource #9 – r/Sat
I was a bit hesitant to include this, but many students these days use Reddit, and I actually think it can be a good resource for learning which strategies worked for top scorers, how often they practiced, and there are sometimes great stories of score improvement that can be motivating. However, I must add a cautionary note: browsing the SAT® subreddit can be discouraging if you’re not seeing great increases in your score, or if you are not a 1500+ scorer. Just remember, you are your own person, and however you perform on the SAT® will not determine your success in life. Use the Reddit thread as a helpful tool, and don’t let it discourage you.
