SAT Test Day Checklist: What to Bring and What to Expect
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Bring a fully charged laptop or tablet with Bluebook installed and exam setup complete, your admission ticket, an acceptable photo ID, pencils or pens, and your charger. An approved calculator, a snack and water are optional. Finish exam setup in Bluebook before test day, because that is what creates your admission ticket.
One week before: handle the tech
- Install or update Bluebook on the exact device you will bring. School-managed devices sometimes need the school’s IT team to install it, so ask early.
- Complete exam setup in Bluebook. This step creates your admission ticket and cannot be done at the test center.
- Take one full practice test on that same device, so you know the app runs smoothly and the on-screen tools feel familiar.
- No device of your own? College Board can lend one if you request it well in advance through your registration.
- Log in to your College Board account and confirm your test center address and any center-specific instructions.
What to bring
| Item | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop or tablet | Required | Fully charged, Bluebook installed, exam setup complete |
| Admission ticket | Required | Printed or ready to show |
| Photo ID | Required | School or government ID that matches your registration name |
| Pencils or pens | Required | For the scratch paper the center provides |
| Charger | Strongly recommended | Outlets are not guaranteed, but bring it anyway |
| Approved calculator | Optional | Bluebook has a built-in Desmos graphing calculator |
| Snack and water | Optional | For the 10-minute break |
| Light layer | Optional | Testing rooms are often cold |
What to leave at home
Phones and smartwatches must be powered off and stored for the whole test, including the break. Being seen with a phone can get scores cancelled. Leave notes, books, highlighters, separate timers and earbuds at home unless an approved accommodation allows them.
The night before and the morning of
- Stop studying by early evening. A light look at your error log or formula list is fine; cramming new content is not.
- Eat a normal dinner, keep caffeine at your usual level and get a full night’s sleep.
- Set two alarms and plan your route, including traffic and parking.
- Eat a real breakfast. You will be testing for more than two hours.
- Arrive early. Your admission ticket shows the arrival time, and late arrivals may be turned away.
- Warm up with two or three easy questions you have already solved, just to get into test mode.
What happens in the test room
- Check-in: staff verify your ID and admission ticket and seat you.
- Start: proctors read instructions and give you a start code for Bluebook.
- Reading and Writing: two 32-minute modules of 27 questions each.
- Break: 10 minutes. Stand up, eat, drink water, and keep your phone off.
- Math: two 35-minute modules of 22 questions each.
- Finish: Bluebook submits your answers automatically when the last module ends.
If something goes wrong
If your device freezes, the battery dies or the app crashes, raise your hand right away. Bluebook saves your work as you go, and proctors are trained to get you back into the test.