How to Use Bluebook Practice Tests

If you're preparing for any test in the SAT Suite of Assessments, there's no better way to study than to take an official practice test in Bluebook™, our digital testing app. Here's how to get the most out of your practice test.

1. Figure out which test-taking strategies work best for you. Should you read the questions before you read the passages on the Reading and Writing section, or vice versa? Should you flag a question if you can't answer it in the first 30 seconds and come back to it later, or does that throw off your timing? All of these strategies are valid and helpful to some people, but only you can decide which one works best for you. By taking practice tests, you can try different options and figure out your strategy ahead of time.
   Tip: For more test strategies to try, check out the time management ideas from Khan Academy^® for both the Reading and Writing section and the Math section.
2. Pay attention to the pacing. Both sections on the SAT—(1) Reading and Writing and (2) Math—have two modules designed with multistage adaptive testing. In other words, each module on the test has the same number of questions, but the mix of questions in the second module will be either slightly more difficult or slightly less difficult than the questions in the first module. The practice tests use the same multistage adaptive model, so you can prepare for this change in timing and learn to pace yourself. For more information and a video breakdown of multistage adaptive testing, see How Are Scores Calculated?.
3. Try to duplicate the testing conditions as closely as possible. You probably won't be able to take your practice test in your testing room, but if you can minimize distractions and try to sit at a table or desk instead of on your couch or in your bedroom, you'll be able to focus more on the practice test and get a better idea for what test day will be like.
   Tip: While we recommend taking at least one practice test in Bluebook in one sitting just like you will on test day, you can pause your practice test in Bluebook and come back to it later.
4. Get to know Bluebook. Bluebook is full of helpful features to improve your test-taking experience, including an annotation tool that allows you to highlight and underline important parts of the question, a line reader tool to help you focus on smaller sections of text, an answer option eliminator to remind you which choices you've already ruled out, and a flag to mark questions for review that you want to revisit later. By familiarizing yourself with these tools during a practice test, you'll be able to use them effectively on test day instead of discovering them for the first time.
   Important: While taking practice tests in Bluebook, every student is welcome to toggle on and experiment with certain built-in accommodations (text-to-speech, screen readers, etc.). However, practicing with accommodations does NOT mean you are approved to take an actual assessment with those accommodations. If you need to test with accommodations, please ask your school's SSD coordinator to submit a request through SSD Online at least 7 weeks before test day. For more information, visit How to Request Accommodations.
5. Study with your practice scores. Once you've completed your practice test, go to My Practice to view your scores. There are two ways your practice scores can help you study:
   • Practice Specific Questions: From your My Practice dashboard or your Score Details page, you'll see a button for Practice Specific Questions. Based on your performance on that practice test, My Practice creates this custom set of questions to help you review any skills that might need a boost. You can even see the associated domains for each question so you can do further review in the Student Question Bank.
   • Review: Click Score Details to see every question on the test, the answer you submitted, and the correct answer for that question. Click Review next to your answer to read through the question and answer explanation. Keep track of the questions you missed and pay attention to any patterns you notice about the question content and the skills involved. Then head over to our Student Question Bank to try more practice questions covering those skill. Want help identifying which skills match up with a particular question? Check out How to Use the Student Question Bank for more information.

Note: For additional tips on using practice tests effectively, check out the updated Official SAT Study Guide from the College Board bookstore or wherever you find test prep materials. While you can take the same practice tests for free in Bluebook, taking a printed practice test is another strategy to help you commit the information to memory. The study guide also contains test-taking advice and detailed overviews of the test all in one place—just like what you can find here on the Practice hub and elsewhere on the SAT Suite of Assessments website.