SAT test day: what to bring and what to expect

Bluebook setup before test day

The Digital SAT runs in Bluebook, College Board's testing app. Bluebook works on a Windows laptop or tablet, a Mac laptop, an iPad or a school-managed Chromebook. It does not run on a personal Chromebook, a phone, Linux or PureOS. You bring your own device to SAT Weekend testing.

1. 1
   At least 30 days before: install Bluebook

   Download Bluebook on the device you will test on and take a practice test with it. Starting early leaves time to find another device if yours does not meet the requirements. If you have no device and cannot borrow one, you can request one from College Board, also at least 30 days before test day.

2. 2
   1–5 days before: complete exam setup

   Open Bluebook, sign in to your College Board account and complete exam setup. Bluebook downloads your test and generates your admission ticket. Print it (College Board prefers a printed ticket) or email it to yourself.

3. 3
   Test day morning: final check

   Close and reopen Bluebook to check for messages and updated test center details, and make sure the battery is full. Check that your center has not closed or moved.

If you use a school-managed device and test at a center or school you do not attend, you probably will not have the permissions to fix problems on the day, and neither will the staff. Get it working at your own school first. For how the adaptive test itself works, see the Digital SAT.

What to bring to the SAT

Worth bringing: a power cord or portable charger (an outlet is not guaranteed), a watch without an audible alarm, a drink and snacks for the break, a bag, an external mouse, a keyboard if you test on a tablet, and a backup testing device. Epinephrine auto-injectors are allowed in a clear bag under your desk.

Photo ID rules, including for international students

Staff compare your admission ticket and photo ID with the roster. If any information does not match, you will not be admitted. Your ID must be valid and unexpired, an original physical document, show your full legal name exactly as it appears on your admission ticket, carry a recent photo that matches you and the photo you uploaded, and have legible English text.

Elsewhere, a government-issued ID, passport or current school ID is generally accepted. Never acceptable: photocopies, IDs on a phone, damaged or temporary IDs, credit cards, birth certificates. Keep your ID with you all day, including breaks; it is checked each time you enter the room. If you are an international student with any doubt, bring your passport.

SAT check-in timeline

College Board publishes this approximate Saturday schedule. Your admission ticket shows your center's actual arrival time, which can differ.

1. 1
   7:15 a.m.

   Students borrowing a College Board device arrive to pick it up, sign in and complete exam setup.

2. 2
   7:45 a.m.

   Doors open and all students check in.

3. 3
   8:00 a.m.

   Doors close. You cannot be admitted once testing has started; if you are late or absent, you have to register again and pay standard fees.

4. 4
   8:15–8:30 a.m.

   Seats are assigned. You join the center Wi-Fi, open Bluebook and complete check-in in the app. The proctor collects prohibited items and gives a start code; entering it starts the test.

5. 5
   10:45–11:00 a.m.

   Standard-time testing ends. Bluebook submits answers automatically. Do not close your device until the proctor dismisses you.

Timing and breaks

Each module is timed separately and Bluebook shows the clock. You can move between questions and review answers within a module, but once you move on you cannot go back. Everyone is timed individually, so students take breaks at slightly different times. You can take an unscheduled break, but the clock keeps running. During the break, leave your device open and your calculator on the desk. The full breakdown is in SAT structure.

Prohibited items and rules

• Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and other wearables (simple digital or analog watches are fine)
• Bluetooth devices, audio players, headphones, earbuds or earplugs
• Detachable privacy screens, an iPad stylus, and external keyboards for laptops or Chromebooks
• Cameras or recording devices and separate timers
• Notes, books, papers or reference materials; compasses, rulers, protractors
• Calculators with CAS (computer algebra system) functions, QWERTY keyboards or wireless connectivity

Staff will collect phones and other banned devices or have you put them in a bag away from your desk, breaks included. If a banned device makes noise or you are seen with it at any time, you can be dismissed and your scores canceled. Only Bluebook may be running on your device, and you may not share or discuss test questions at any time. Leaving the building before testing ends cancels your scores.

On calculators: graphing, scientific and four-function models are allowed if they have no CAS functions. TI-Nspire models without "CAS" in the name are fine; TI-89, TI-92, HP Prime and Casio ClassPad models are not. Calculators go under your desk during Reading and Writing. More on choosing one in our SAT calculator guide.

If your device fails during the test

Raise your hand and tell the proctor. Bluebook guidance has staff try fixes in order: exit Bluebook, close background apps and sign in again; then restart the device; then, only if those fail, switch to a backup device with Bluebook installed. When you exit Bluebook, the timer pauses for a limited time so you can recover. This is why bringing a backup device and a charger is worth the effort.

You need an internet connection to start and to submit, but not in between; short Wi-Fi drops do not stop the test, and answers are saved to the device. If submission fails, Bluebook shows instructions, and you have until the end of the following day to resubmit. Do not switch devices after time runs out, because answers must be submitted from the device you finished on.

Test day tips

• Take at least one full practice test in Bluebook on your actual testing device, with the calculator you plan to use.
• Pack the night before: device, charger, ID, printed admission ticket, pencils, calculator, snack.
• If you travel to another city or country to test, find the center the day before and plan to arrive before 7:45 a.m.
• Tell the testing staff right away if anything goes wrong in the room. College Board also takes reports through its inquiry form afterward.
• If the morning goes badly, you have one week to decide whether to cancel your scores, but most students are better off seeing them first.

Full-length timed practice is the best rehearsal. Our practice platform runs Bluebook-style tests with four adaptive modules and a timer, and scores them instantly.

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