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Test Center Coordinators and Primary SSD Coordinators

We appreciate the time and effort you put in to ensure you and your staff are as prepared as possible and for managing the center on test day. If your school tests students needing a school setting, the primary SSD coordinator or appointee will act as test coordinator and follow many of these steps to administer the school-based testing.

In addition to the checklist on this page, refer to these two resources:

  • Watch this on-demand webinar that provides an end-to-end walkthrough of Test Day Toolkit.
  • Learn what proctors and students experience during digital testing at Test Day Experience.

Stay informed about test day preparations through SMS messages. Subscribe here to sign up so you're alerted to the latest information about your College Board administration. You only need to sign up once to opt in across all future College Board Assessments. (Available only in the U.S.)

SAT Weekend Test Coordinator Checklist

As coordinator, you're responsible for all aspects of the test administration. Start planning for test day by completing the following steps:

Step 1: Begin Planning

(5 Weeks Before Test Day)

  • Recruit testing staff
    • Returning site: Recruit based on your site’s historical registration and early registration data.
    • New site: Recruit based on your approved capacity.
    • School-based site: School-based testing for a small group of testers means you don’t need to recruit a technology monitor or staff a help room.
    • Sites with fewer than 50 registrations may only need 2 or 3 staff total because the coordinator acts as the technology monitor or proctor for small test centers.
    • Share the recruiting flyer with staff to generate interest.
  • If you haven't already done so, you need to agree to the SAT Weekend Staff Agreement and set yourself up for receiving honoraria through our new vendor, Raise. You also need to take the steps given on our honoraria webpage to onboard the staff members you recruit. Also see our Honoraria informational flyer.
  • Plan space
    • Use rooms with 20 seats or more for standard testers.
    • Use Test Day Toolkit to help with planning, especially with larger sites.
  • Work with IT staff to:
    • Set up your Wi-Fi network.
    • Install Bluebook™ on any school-managed devices.
Step 2: Complete Training and Access Resources

(3–4 Weeks Before Test Day)

The training includes self-paced modules that review procedures, Test Day Toolkit, technology specifications, and test center planning. Training is required each testing year for all staff participating in an SAT administration, even if they’ve taken training before. Staff with experience delivering the digital SAT can test out of topics.

  • 3 Weeks Before Test Day: Complete the  College Board required training. Staff must have a College Board professional account to sign in (use the same account that you use to sign in to Test Day Toolkit).
  • Share the link to required training and role-specific resources with staff as you recruit them.
  • School-based staff must complete accommodations modules.
  • You can view the staff training completion status by navigating to the Training Status Dashboard link on your training dashboard.

You and your staff will use the following resources to administer center-based testing. They may require a password to open, which you'll receive via email; however, publications can be accessed in the training platform without a password.

For school-based testing (SSD coordinator or appointee), you and your staff will use the following resources to administer school-based accommodations:

Step 3: Set Up Test Day Toolkit

(3 Weeks Before Test Day)

Test Day Toolkit is the online tool you and your testing staff will use to manage and administer the test. Test coordinators usually get access to Test Day Toolkit 6–8 weeks before test day, but we may occasionally need to delay access until 3 weeks before test day. After we send you an email telling you when your roster is available, complete the required steps for setting up Test Day Toolkit for SAT Weekend, including:

  • Entering staff contact info immediately. As soon as you do, we'll send them a Test Day Toolkit access email. Staff will need to confirm they can access the toolkit before test day.
  • Adding rooms.
  • Assigning students to rooms.
  • Assigning staff to roles and rooms.
Step 4: Rooms and Help Staff

(2–3 Weeks Before Test Day)

Additional details and information about this step are also available in the Technical Readiness Checklist.

  • Recruit 1 on-site technology monitor who can use our troubleshooting tips to help students with technical issues on test day.
  • Make sure your center's technology monitor completes  College Board required training and reads the Technical Troubleshooting Guide before test day.
  • Reserve a help room where the technology monitor can troubleshoot issues without disturbing other students. A help room is just an extra room, near the testing rooms, with good access to electrical outlets.
  • Reach out to school or facility technology staff to help complete these tasks:
    • Help you choose testing rooms with enough network speed and strength to support the expected number of students.
    • Provide your technology monitor with information about your test center's network and tips they can use on test day.
    • If students who attend your school want to test on a school-managed device, ask school technology staff to help them install the Bluebook testing application.
Step 5: Prepare Your Network

(1–2 Weeks Before Test Day)

The Wi-Fi network must be accessed by all registered students and staff using personal devices. All students must be allowed to access Wi-Fi, regardless of where they attend school.

  • 2 Weeks Before Test Day: Go to the Technical Readiness Checklist and connect technology staff to the detailed specifications and guidance they need.
  • 1 Week Before Test Day: Use the Technical Readiness Checklist to check readiness.
  • Check your roster for updates and adjust plans accordingly.
Step 6: Print and Display Resources

(1 Week Before Test Day)

Provide useful test day reminders for parents, guardians, and students.

Step 7: Conduct a Smooth Administration

(on Test Day)

See the SAT Weekend Test Day Schedule below for a sample test day timing of these activities.

  • Before student check-in begins, complete these activities:
    • Arrive by 7:00 a.m. to organize proctor supplies and prepare the test center. If planning to admit students centrally, set up a table near the center’s main entrance.
    • Sign in to Test Day Toolkit to review your roster and grant full Test Day Toolkit access to your staff.
    • Conduct a brief meeting with your staff before students arrive to review roles and responsibilities, and share any last-minute reminders and plans for check-in.
    • In centers only: Admit any students approved for loaned devices at 7:15 a.m. so you can distribute the devices to them and give them time to complete exam setup and receive their admission ticket.
  • Throughout test day, manage the center by:
    • Admitting students to the center and directing them to their rooms.
    • Handling any situations that may arise.
  • Once testing is over, complete finishing-up activities:
    • Collect scratch paper and seating charts (if any) from proctors.
    • Review and submit any IRs in Test Day Toolkit.
    • Submit honoraria details for all staff according to the instructions received from our payment vendor, Raise.

SAT Weekend Test Day Schedule

This is a sample schedule based on typical start times.

Suggested Testing Schedule
Time Details
7–7:15 a.m. local time Staff reporting time and room preparation.
Grant Test Day Toolkit access to all staff who need it.
7:15 a.m. Any student borrowing a testing device arrives to receive it and completes exam setup.
7:45 a.m. Doors open to test center.
7:45–8 a.m. Students admitted to testing rooms and checked in with Test Day Toolkit.
8 a.m. Close testing room doors.
8–8:15 a.m. Students check in to Bluebook™. Proctors read opening script.
8:15–8:30 a.m. Proctors give the start code. Testing begins.
10:45–11 a.m. Standard time testing (group C1) ends.
Noon–12:15 p.m. Extended time for time and one-half testing on entire test (group C2) ends.
1–1:15 p.m. Extended time for double-time testing on entire test (group C3) ends.

Learn about College Board's device lending program.