10 Essential Tips For SAT Prep

Last year, the SAT underwent a transformation from a paper-based format to a digital, adaptive test. Now fully rolled out for U.S. students, the new SAT is shorter, more streamlined, and administered through a digital platform. If your student is preparing for the SAT, understanding the new structure and optimizing their prep approach is essential. Here’s what they need to know to succeed with confidence.

1. Get Comfortable with the Bluebook App

The digital SAT is administered through the College Board’s Bluebook app, which students must download and use to take the test. Students should explore the features: on-screen calculator, annotation tools, flagging questions, and built-in timer. Practicing in Bluebook helps eliminate surprises on test day.

2. Understand the Adaptive Format

The new SAT adapts in two stages per section (Reading & Writing and Math). Performance on the first module determines the difficulty of the second. That means doing well early can unlock harder questions and more points. Accuracy matters more than ever.

3. Take a Full-Length Diagnostic Test Early

Before diving into content review, students should take a full-length practice test to get a baseline score. Use the official digital SAT through the Bluebook app in a quiet environment and follow timing rules to simulate test-day conditions. The goal isn’t just a number but understanding strengths, weaknesses, and pacing habits.

4. Practice With Realistic Timing

Even though the digital SAT allows slightly more time per question than the old test, students still feel time pressure.

Here’s how to build timing confidence:

• Use a timer during practice sections.

• Track how long different question types take.

Regular timed drills help build both speed and decision-making skills under pressure.

5. Strengthen Core Academic Skills

The SAT rewards students with a solid foundation in reading comprehension, grammar, algebra, and data analysis. It’s not about memorizing formulas or obscure rules. It’s about understanding how to apply core concepts in new situations. Focus first on the fundamentals, then build from there.

6. Use Strategic Answering Techniques

One of the benefits of the digital SAT is that students can navigate freely within each module. Students should:

• Flag hard questions and come back to them.

• Use the process of elimination.

• Avoid getting stuck on any one question. Start with the ones you are most confident about, which can help build momentum and improve pacing.

7. Learn to Spot Trap Answers

Every SAT multiple-choice question has one correct answer and several distractors designed to catch common mistakes. Learning to recognize patterns in wrong answers, like choices that are too extreme, slightly off-topic, or based on misreadings, can give students a significant scoring edge. And don’t forget: there’s no penalty for guessing. Never leave a question blank.

8. Get to Know the Desmos Calculator

The SAT now provides a built-in Desmos graphing calculator for the entire Math section. Students should practice using it, especially for functions, inequalities, and graph interpretation. It's a helpful tool, but only if used efficiently.

9. Take the Official Digital Practice Tests

College Board offers several full-length practice tests in the Bluebook app. Taking these in a simulated environment throughout preparation helps students get used to adaptive scoring and the digital interface. This is the closest experience to the real test.

10. Retest Strategically, if Needed

Because the SAT is offered multiple times yearly, many students plan to take it more than once. After the first test, analyze results:

• Which section improved?

• What content still needs attention?

• Was time a factor?

Students should use the answers to these questions to adjust their prep and approach a retest with a more straightforward strategy.

The shift to a digital, adaptive SAT is a big change, but it's not a bad one. However, success still comes down to preparation. With the right tools and strategies, students can walk in on test day feeling confident and ready.. 

At North Shore College Consulting, we stay on top of the latest testing trends to help students put their best foot forward. If your student needs guidance on testing timelines or choosing between the SAT and ACT, the North Shore College Consulting team is here to help every step of the way.