Free Official SAT Practice Tests
January 20, 2026
There are a lot of crucial elements when it comes to a truly effective SAT study program. Not only do you want to seek the guidance of an experienced tutor or instructor, but a rigorous class—whether online or in-person—is important as well. How else will you learn game-changing strategies for test day? It's hard to go it alone, especially with an exam as important as this one. That's why it's key to plan your SAT course of study in advance so you have more than enough time to prepare.
Another big factor that affects SAT success is practice exams—taking the test before "the test." One is recommended every few weeks during a class or course, preferably a mock exam that's supervised or proctored to get the real "SAT effect." Thankfully, there are official practice tests online, which can provide continued understanding and insight as you progress in your study program.
Let's take a look at the importance of SAT mock exams and where you can find the best free ones.
The Value of Practice Exams
Diagnostic SAT practice exams have a number of benefits and should be a staple of any rigorous course of study. While focusing on specific exercises and practice drills is very important for building strategy, having the "the test day experience" has great value too.
Mock SAT tests allow you to track your progress. How satisfying is it to see how far you've come from your first SAT practice days? Not only is it important to see tangible growth, it's highly encouraging too. After all, anyone studying for the exam wants to know they're doing better as each day goes by. Mock exams help make this a reality.
Practice tests also facilitate a holistic SAT experience. It's important to experience firsthand how the exam's allotted time passes as you concentrate on each section. While it may be a frustrating element of the SAT, there's a very real ticking time clock, so practicing these exercises as part of a complete exam under the same time constraints is crucial for success.
Finally, SAT diagnostic tests build your confidence. When you know what's ahead of you, you fear it less. That couldn't be truer than for the understanding and insight you gain from incorporating regular mock exams into your study plan.
SAT Sections
Before delving into specific sites that offer official practice tests, let's review the SAT's structure first so we can have a better understanding of the test as a whole. The exam has two sections, Reading & Writing and Math, to be completed in a total time of 2 hours and 14 minutes, with one 10-minute break. Both sections have two equally-long modules, and since the test is adaptive, the second module in each section will be more or less difficult depending on how you did on the first.
| SAT Section | Time | Number of Questions | Time Per Question |
| Reading & Writing | 64 minutes (Two 32-minute modules) | 54 | 71 seconds |
| Math | 70 minutes (Two 35-minute modules) | 44 | 95 seconds |
| Total | 2 hours, 14 minutes | 98 | 82 seconds |
Official Test Links
While there may be other websites promoting SAT practice tests, we are focused only on official practice tests, which we find are far more credible and useful for determining projected scores.
The best place to look for official practice tests is the College Board, the maker and administrator of the SAT. It offers official practice tests that you can take at your leisure via its Bluebook app, the same platform students use to take the digital SAT. There are also downloadable paper practice tests available on its website for students who have paper-based accommodations for test day, although anyone can practice with them.
Manhattan Review also offers a free official SAT practice test, along with a question bank with a variety of free practice questions. This test is 100% without cost, like the ones the College Board offers, so it's worth using them to help identify your testing weaknesses and pinpoint your strengths.
If you're interested in more paper-based mock SAT tests, there's another resource for working with official ones. There are four printable exams available from before 2005. Even though they are older, they are still very similar to the current SAT, but do note they are several test versions ago. You can skip the analogies in Reading and the Math comparison questions, which were discontinued. (The scoring scale for these exams is the same as the current one, 400 to 1600.)
Pre-2005 Practice Test #3 & Answers
Pre-2005 Practice Test #4 & Answers
Tips for Taking a Diagnostic Exam
When taking diagnostic SAT tests, it's important to keep some important factors in mind. First, did you meet all the time requirements? This is one of the major differences between practice drills and full-length tests. If you went over any time limits, did you take note of where it happened? Knowing where these mistakes were made is the first step to remedying them.
Additionally, asking yourself the following questions will help you further evaluate your performance on the mock tests:
- Did you get nervous?
- Did you get tired?
- Did you get hungry or excessively thirsty?
- Were you able to stay focused?
- Were you able to make use of your break? Did you have enough time to use the restroom or eat a snack?
- Was it easier or harder to apply strategies you learned in your studies to the practice exam?
Additional Official SAT Practice Material
While the focus of this article is on official SAT practice tests, if you're seeking further sample practice questions, the College Board has a Student Question Bank with thousands of them available. They can be accessed with a student College Board account.
The Takeaway
In the end, only you know how many SAT practice tests you have to take to feel comfortable on test day. Everyone is different; for some, taking all the ones the College Board offers is the way to go. For others, taking just one at the beginning of their studies and one at the end is sufficient. However you choose to proceed, it's important that you realize mock exams' value and importance.
While much of SAT prep costs money, it's nice to know these tests are available to any student. "The best things in life are free," right? Nice to know that can also apply to practice SAT exams for ambitious students!