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Hardest SAT Math Problems (updated for Digital SAT)

Bonus Material: The Hardest SAT Math Problems Quiz

Aiming for a really great score on the SAT? Wondering if your math skills are up to the challenge of the hardest problems?

If you want to be able to get a perfect score, you have to be able to solve the hardest SAT math problems.

We used our extensive test-prep experience to find the questions that many students miss. The examples below are real problems from past official SATs. 

Give each of these 16 hard math problems a try, then read our step-by-step explanations to see if you’re solving them correctly.

If you’re thinking about getting SAT tutoring to help you tackle problems like these on the real SAT, be sure to check out our list of the 15 best SAT Tutoring Services

Then, download this quiz with 20 more of the hardest real SAT problems ever to see if you’re on track for a perfect score! 

Bonus Material: 20 of the All-Time Hardest SAT Math Problems

Math on the SAT

Math accounts for half of your Total SAT Score, regardless of whether you’re taking the old paper SAT or the new Digital SAT.

On the traditional, paper SAT (which will be phased out in early 2024), the Math section comprises section 3, which contains 20 questions, is 25 minutes long and does not allow you to use a calculator; and section 4, which contains 38 questions, is 55 minutes long and does allow a calculator.

On the upcoming digital SAT (which will come into place in spring of 2024), the format is considerably different. You’ll be given two 35-minute “modules” with 22 questions in each, with the difficulty level of the second one depending on your performance on the first one. In other words, if you do really poorly on the first set of 22 questions, the second set will be easier–but your overall math score will be negatively affected. You can use your calculator on both.

Every SAT covers the following math material:

Heart of Algebra: 33% of test . Linear equations and inequalities and their graphs and systems.

Problem Solving and Data Analysis: 29% of test . Ratios, proportions, percentages, and units; analyzing graphical data, probabilities, and statistics.

Passport to Advanced Math: 28% of test . Identifying and creating equivalent expressions; quadratic and nonlinear equations/functions and their graphs.

Additional Topics in Math: 10% of test . A wide variety of topics, including geometry, trigonometry, radians and the unit circle, and complex numbers.

On the old SAT , open-ended questions came at the end of each Math section. Many students find them harder because you can’t guess or work backwards from multiple-choice options.

However, what many students don’t know is that the first 1–3 of these grid-in questions will actually be easier than the last few multiple-choice questions. 

That’s because the math questions on the SAT get increasingly difficult over the course of each section, but the difficulty level starts over again with the grid-in questions.

The savvy student will know this and skip the harder multiple-choice questions to go answer the easier grid-in questions first. Of course, if you’re aiming for a perfect score, (on most tests) you’ll have to answer every question correctly . 

But on the new Digital SAT, these open-ended questions will pop up at different points throughout both modules. You may see them in the beginning, the middle, or the end: there’s no set place for these to appear. Nor is there a set difficulty: generally, we’ve seen these questions be slightly on the easier side, but this varies significantly from test to test.

Because there’s obviously no bubble sheet on the digital SAT, you’ll simply type your answer into the text box. Be sure to look for instructions in the question about how they want the answer formatted!

To work with us for one-on-one tutoring or for our group SAT classes, schedule a free consultation with our team .

Why these problems are essential if you’re aiming at a top school

A perfect score on the SAT Math is 800. The only way to get this score is to answer every question correctly . 

In order to score a 750, you can only miss 2 or 3 questions across both math sections .

A 750 Math SAT may sound like a very high score—and it is! It’s a very high score.

But at the very best schools in the US, three quarters of the students scored a 750 Math or better.

In fact, at the Ivy League and other top schools, at least a quarter of the students had a perfect score!

The average math scores are even higher at the top engineering schools. Three quarters of the students at CalTech had a 790 or 800, and three quarters of the students at MIT had at least a 780.

In order to be a competitive applicant to these schools, your SAT Math score should be within the “middle 50%” of the students at that school—in other words, more or less an average score for that school.

So if you’re aiming at an Ivy or one of the other top schools, you can only miss 2 or 3 questions out of the 58 math questions on the whole SAT.

If that’s your goal, make sure that you understand the problems explained below, and then try our quiz of 20 more real SAT questions that rank among the hardest questions ever.

SAT Problem #1

At first glance, this looks like a geometry question, since it talks about planes and lines and points . But this is actually an algebra question, dressed up with some geometric trappings. 

The key is to realize: 

1) We don’t need to solve for p and r individually. We just need to solve for (r/p) . 

2) The points themselves (p,r) and (2p, 5r) represent X and Y values on the line itself. (For example if p = 2 and r = 3 then that’s the same thing as an x-coordinate of 2 and a y-coordinate of 3.)

So let’s take a look at it. 

First, let’s plug in the p and r points for the x and y values to see what equations we end up with. 

y = x + b becomes r = p + b

y = 2x + b becomes 5r = 2(2p) + b or 5r = 4p + b

At this point we might get a little anxious because we have three variables. 

But we have to remember we don’t need to get the value of the individual letters, just the value of the relationship between r and p. 

That’s where b actually becomes helpful. Because we can now set both equations equal to b , plug in, and then see if we can manipulate the r and p to get them to express the same relationship we want. 

So, first set both equations equal to b to get: 

b = r – p

b = 5r – 4p

And since, obviously b = b … 

r – p = 5r – 4p

Let’s now use some basic algebra to put the like variables together, so:

Now we’re nearly home. All we have to do is manipulate the problem so r/p .

So, divide both sides by  3p :

4r / 3p = 1

Then multiply both sides by 3: 

And finally divide by 4, which gives us: 

CHOICE B  

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SAT Problem #2

This is a question that can cause all sorts of problems if you forget your exponent rules—but it’s otherwise very straightforward. 

So let’s go over a few of those rules, just to get comfortable . . . and notice a pattern. I’ve included three below:

Two things to pay attention to:

First, when we divide variables with exponents, we keep the base and subtract the exponent. When we multiply variables with exponents, we keep the base and add the exponents. When we take a variable with an exponent to an additional power, we multiply the exponents. 

Second, in order to use the first two of these rules, the two numbers must have the same base . 

There is a base x on both the top and bottom of that fraction or the left and right side of that multiplication sign. 

So how does that help us here? 

Let’s forget the first half of the problem and look at the second:

We might look back at these exponent rules and throw our hands up—the top and bottom parts of this fraction don’t have the same base, so what am I supposed to do here? 

Except… 

8 and 2 actually DO have the same base. Base 2. 

Isn’t 2^3 equal to 8? 

So if we re-write the problem, plugging in 2^3 for 8, and thinking about that third exponent rule I gave you above, the equation will look like this: 

Now let’s go back to our exponent rules once more, and look at the first one. 

Because that tells us that… 

Well, hold on a second! 

We know the value of 3x – y . 

The problem tells us it’s 12.  

So we just plug in and get our answer… 

Which is CHOICE A. 

Keep up the practice! If you’d like help honing your skills, reach out to us for a free test prep consultation. All of our tutors are top 1% scorers who attended top-tier schools like Harvard and Princeton. That makes them uniquely qualified to help high-scoring students improve.

SAT Problem #3

A question like this confuses a lot of students because they either forget how minimums and maximums work or find it hard to keep track of which numbers they are plugging in and where. 

In order to solve it, it’s helpful to think of a function as a machine . We enter an input into the machine (an x value)—it acts on it—and then it gives us an output (a y value). 

Let’s also remember that when we’re talking about minimum and maximums we’re talking about the y value when the function is at its highest and lowest point . 

With these two facts in mind, the problem is going to be much simpler, so let’s take it on in parts…

Since the question is asking us for g(k) and k represents the maximum value of f , it’s going to be helpful to first… 

Find k .  

So what is the maximum value of f , the graphed function? Well, the maximum value (as we realized earlier) is the y value when the function is at its highest. 

Looking at the graph, it looks the function is at highest when x = 4 , and more importantly, when 

Therefore, k = 3 .

Now let’s consider our functions as machines. 

When the problem asks us for g(k) , it’s telling us that k is going to act as the input (the x value for the function). So g(k) , the value after the machine acts upon the function, is going to be the output , or the y value . 

So, g(k) is the same as g(x) , except we’re plugging in our value of k , which is 3, for our x value. 

The rest is very simple. 

We go to the table and find where x = 3 , then move our finger across to see the output for that value, which is 6.

CHOICE B. 

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SAT Problem #4

A version of this question has appeared on the SAT multiple times in recent years, and it often stumps students!

Here we have something that resembles a rotated version of the logo from Star Trek, and we’re asked to find the value of a degree inside the circle, between two points of the pointed figure.

We’re given a point that represents the center of the circle, along with two degree measurements inside the triangle-like figure. 

Generally, when we’re given a figure that looks unfamiliar to us—like the figure inside the circle— it can be extremely helpful to find a way to fix it (or cut it up) so that it’s made up of parts of shapes that are more familiar . 

So looking inside this circle, how might we “fix” this figure so that it becomes a little friendlier. 

Well, if we draw a line to the center of the circle ( P ) from the edge of the circle ( A ), then this unfamiliar figure suddenly becomes two triangles. 

And with triangles, unlike the figure we were originally given, we can apply some rules . 

Rules, for example, that dictate opposite sides of the triangle that have the same length will have the same opposite angles. 

And if we look at our drawing we see that two sides of our triangle are the same length because they’re both the radius …

And so we also know that the opposite angles of those sides will be the same… 

And we’ve been given one of those angles! 

Therefore, angles ⦣ABP and ⦣PAB will be the same—both 20 degrees. Let’s fill that in. 

Now again—because we have a triangle—we can apply another rule as well. 

We know that degrees of a triangle will add up to 180 degrees. 

So if we know one of the inner degrees of the triangle is 20, and the other is 20—the remaining angle has to be 140 degrees. (Because 180 – 40 = 140. )

We have two of these triangles, so we know the larger inner angles of both add up to 280. 

Because a circle is 360 degrees, the number of degrees “left over” when 280 is subtracted from 360 is 80. 

So X equals 80. 

There is actually a second clever way to solve this problem, involving arc measures. Can you spot it? (If not, don’t worry! Ask us how we did it here .)

SAT Problem #5

Here we have a problem that looks quite complicated—and one I find students often waste a lot of time on. They either try to plug in answers and work backwards… 

…or they waste time trying to combine the two terms on the right side of the equation and simplifying. 

It turns out the easiest way to solve this problem is by polynomial division , because we’ve already been given the answer! It’s the right-hand side of the equation: (-8x – 3) – (53 / (ax – 2)) .

That means that this is our answer to when (24x^2 + 25x – 47) is divided by ax – 2 .

So how does that help us get a value for a ? 

Well, let’s set this up as a polynomial division problem.

We’d write it as follows: 

(I’m not putting the second half of the right side of the equation on top because that’s going to be our remainder.) 

So now we have a simple question. What number divided into 24 , gives me -8 ? 

Well, that’s easy. It’s -3 , right? 

Because -3 * -8 gives me 24 . 

So a equals -3 ,   CHOICE B .

Now, you could spend time plugging in -3 for a and dividing through the rest of the problem to make sure your answer matches the one on the exam—but generally on a timed test you really shouldn’t do more work than necessary. 

In fact, by setting this up as a polynomial division problem, we’ve saved time precisely because we don’t have to complete all the work . . . just enough to get us our answer. 

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SAT Problem #6

Because the SAT is a timed test, “difficult” includes not only questions that are hard to solve, but also those that—if a few wrong decisions are made—take a long time to solve. 

Sure, you may get the right answer, but those extra seconds or minutes wasted will inevitably cost you on other questions later on the exam.

Generally speaking, you should be able to answer each question in about a minute. If you spend more than 60 seconds on a single question, you should put down your best guess and move on (and hope that you have extra time at the end to return to this question).

To that end, let’s look at this question. You’re asked to find the value of 3x – 2 , and you’re given this equation:

(⅔)(9x – 6) – 4 = (9x – 6)

Many students will immediately think: “This is totally straightforward: Solve for x and plug it back into the equation.” 

They’ll distribute the ⅔ and end up with something like this: 

6x – 4 – 4 = 9x – 6

and then go through all the algebra from there, to get… 3x = -2 . 

These students will then find that x = (-⅔) . 

A few unlucky students will then forget that they have to plug in, and they’ll choose the trap answer C. 

The lucky ones will plug the (-⅔) back into 3x – 2 and get the correct answer, -4 , A . 

However, it turns out there is actually a much quicker way to solve this problem! 

We can solve it without ever having to plug into a second equation. 

If we simply subtract (⅔)(9x-6) from both sides, we end up with… 

-4 = (⅓)(9x-6) . 

We can realize that (⅓) of 9x-6 is the same as 3x-2 . 

And, what do you know… 

-4 = 3x – 2 . 

Ready to try some of these problems on your own? Try our quiz with 20 more of the hardest real SAT problems ever to see if you could get a perfect score on the SAT Math!

SAT Problem #7

This is a question you could muscle through, but it’s going to be a lot easier if we find a few shortcuts and work from there. Remember, a hard question isn’t necessarily difficult because of the conceptual and mathematical effort it asks from you but also because of the time it might require.

So how do we save ourselves some time? 

First, let’s notice that in the answer choices none of these numbers repeat . There are eight distinct numbers in the answer choices. Therefore, if we were pressed for time we only really have to find one of the values of c , choose the corresponding answer choice, and then move on. 

Second, let’s look at the other piece of information this problem gives us besides the quadratic. 

It tell us that a + b = 8.

This should be especially helpful because we know from FOIL (and what the rest of the problem gives us) that a * b = 15 , because abx^2 is going to be equal to 15x^2. 

Because a + b = 8 and ab = 15 , we know that the values of a and b are going to be 3 and 5. 

(We don’t know which one is which, and that’s precisely why this problem has two possible values for c .)

At this point we’ve done most of the “hard” work to save time in this problem, and it hasn’t even been particularly hard!

Now all we have to do is assign one of 3 or 5 to a , assign the other to b , FOIL out the problem, and pick whichever choice corresponds to one of the values of c . 

Let’s say a = 3 and b = 5 .

It will work like this: 

(3x + 2)(5x + 7) = 15x^2 + 21x + 10x + 14 .

Which simplifies to… 

15x^2 + 31x + 14 .

Which means c = 31 .

31 only appears once in our answer choices, so the answer must be CHOICE D.  

SAT Problem #8

When you’re faced with one of these more difficult system-of-equations problems—specifically the ones that ask you for no solutions or infinite solutions —it’s going to be much, much easier to think about the problems geometrically. 

In other words, as two line equations. 

So what does it mean for two lines to have no solutions ?

Well, for two lines to have no solutions, they’d have to never intersect , correct? 

(Just like if one of these problems asks you about two lines with infinite solutions , they’re saying that the lines are the same . They’re laid on top of each other. )

In other words, they’d have to be… parallel lines . 

And parallel lines have the same… slope! 

So this question is asking you to find the correct value for the variable that gives these lines the equivalent slope . 

Obviously, the first step is to put both of these equations in slope-intercept form. We’d end up with:

y = (-a/2)x + 2

Now the rest is very simple. All we need is a value of a that makes the slopes equal, so that it solves the equation (-a/2) = 3 .

With some basic algebra, we end up with -a = 6 . This is the same as a = -6 .

So the answer is CHOICE A, -6. 

Are these problems feeling super hard for you? Want to work on more similar problems? Check out our one-on-one tutoring with Ivy-League instructors. A great experienced tutor can help you focus on the concepts that are the hardest for you until you understand them thoroughly.

SAT Problem 9

This is another type of problem that students often have conceptual difficulty with, causing them to waste much more time than they should. 

(Remember, basically every problem in the SAT math section is designed to be solved in a minute and half or less. If you’re taking three or four minutes on a math problem, you’ve probably made a mistake!)

Some students will see that (u-t) is defined but not u or t individually, so they’ll try either solving for u in terms of t (or vice versa), or they’ll try squaring (u-t) to get a solution. (Which is closer to the correct way to solve the problem, but still incorrect). 

Instead, to solve this problem we need to remember the difference of squares . 

Remember, that the difference of squares states the following… 

(x+y)(x-y) = x^2 – xy + xy – y^2 .

Which means… 

(x+y)(x-y) = x^2 – y^2 .

And doesn’t that look awfully familiar to… u^2 – t^2 ?

In fact, we can now replace  u^2 – t^2 with (u + t)(u – t) .

So the whole problem would now read: (u + t)(u – t)(u – t) . Since we know the value of (u + t) and (u – t) , this would simply be the same as (2)(5)(2) .

Which equals our answer… 

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SAT Problem #10

What makes this question confusing is that students often get thrown off by the repetition of the (⅓). 

They forget that when the ⅓ gets factored out of the parenthesis like that, it means it’s going to apply to the whole equation: both the  x^2 AND the -2 . 

Once we remember that, we can solve this problem by difference of squares . This will save us the time of having to brute force the answer choices and FOIL each one through for the different values of k. 

We’ll simply square k and subtract it from the  x^2 for each choice. 

That will give us the following four choices: 

(⅓)(x^2  – 4)

(⅓)(x^2 – 36)

(⅓)(x^2 – 2)

(⅓) (x^2 – 6)

A student might rush to choose the third answer choice, since it appears to look like the expression at the beginning of the problem, but remember what I told you at the beginning: 

We’re going to apply that ⅓ to both the x^2 AND the k ! 

If we multiply that ⅓ through, the choices suddenly look like this…  

(⅓)(x^2) – (4/3)

(⅓)(x^2) –  (12)

(⅓)(x^2) – (⅔)

(⅓)(x^2) – (2)

. . . and so the correct answer is actually the fourth choice, CHOICE D . 

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SAT Problem #11

There are not many problems on the SAT that involve knowing the equation for a circle—in fact, circle equation problems don’t show up on every test—but that’s precisely why students often find a problem like this more difficult. 

First, let’s do a quick refresher on what the numbers in the equation of a circle mean. 

Any equation for a circle is going to be in this form: 

(x – h)^2 + (y – k)^2 = r^2

Where h and k represent the coordinates of the center and r is the radius. 

Let’s apply that to our problem here… 

(x + 3)^2 + (y – 1)^2 = 25.

Remember: because in the form of the circle equation the numbers inside the parenthesis are subtracted from x and y , when they appear inside the parenthesis as positives , that indicates the coordinate point will be negative. 

Therefore the center of this circle is at point (-3, 1) .

Because the radius is expressed as r^2 , then the 25 indicates the radius will be 5 . 

So we have a circle centered on the point (-3,1) and with a radius of 5 . 

So… now what? 

How do we figure out which of these points is not inside the circle? 

First, let’s draw the circle itself and look at it. On the SAT itself, you won’t have graph paper, so just draw a rough sketch!

Of course if we’re truly flummoxed we could graph the points, eliminate what we can . . . and guess. 

But that’s not ideal, obviously! 

Instead, let’s think about what the radius means. 

The radius demarcates the boundaries of the circle from the center. 

In other words, any points with a distance less-than-the-radius away from the center will lie within the circle. 

And any points more-than-the-radius distance from the center will lie outside of it. 

(Any points exactly-the-radius distance from the center will lie on the circle itself.) 

So all we have to do is find the point that is more than 5 units away from our center, and that will be our answer. 

To do this requires the distance formula. 

Remember, the distance formula is

A quick note: if you ever forget the distance formula, simply plot the two points on a graph, make a triangle with the distance between the two points and the hypotenuse, and use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse, like this: 

Going back to our problem, let’s plug each of the points in along with our radius to the equation. (I’ll include the second point here, although since that’s our center we need not actually bother with it when we’re going through the problem.) We end up with: 

√(-3 – (-7))^2 +(1-(3))^2) = √20

√(-3 – (-3))^2 +(1-(1))^2) = √0

√(-3 – (0))^2 +(1-(0))^2) = √10

√(-3 – (3))^2 +(1-(2))^2) = √37

Only the square root of 37—choice D—is an answer that is larger than five. 

So that’s our correct choice, D . 

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SAT Problem #12

More circles! Let’s recall how the equation for a circle looked. It’s… 

(x – h)^2 + (y – k)^2 = r^2 

What the problem gives us, unfortunately, does not resemble that equation… 

…so our goal is to get the equation in the problem to look like a normal equation for a circle. 

Once we do this, we’ll just have to take the square root of whatever is on the right side of the equation, and that will give us our answer.

But how? 

We need to do something called completing the square . 

For the SAT, this concept is slightly obscure—it’s one you may see only once (or not at all) on a given exam. It makes the question a bit more difficult. 

Completing the square is normally a process reserved for solving a quadratic equation, but if you look closely at the way this problem is set up – 

2x^2 – 6x + 2y^2 + 2y = 45

we see that what we really have here are two quadratic equations, so we just have to complete the square twice. 

First we have to get rid of the coefficient in front of the x and y squared, so we have to divide through by 2 . 

This gives us  x^2 – 3x + y^2 + y = 22.5 .

Now we’re reading to complete the square!

Let’s deal with the x terms first. We have to think of what number, if we had it here in the equation, would allow us to factor x^2 – 3x into something of the form (x – z)^2 , where z is a constant. If we think about it, we realize that z has to be half of b . In this case, that means half of -3 , so -1.5 .

When we pop that into our setup, we get (x – 1.5)^2 . If we FOIL this out, however, we see that we get x^2 – 3x + 2.25 .

So it turns out that in order to be able to rewrite our expression in the form we want, we need to add 2.25 to our equation. As always in algebra, we do the same thing to both sides, so now we have:

x^2 – 3x + 2.25 + y^2 + y = 22.5 + 2.25.

Now we do the same thing for the y terms! Again, we need to add something to the equation so that we could rewrite the y part of the expression in the form (y – z)^2 . To get this number, we take half of the b term and square it: 1 divided by 2 , then squared, so 0.5^2 or 0.25.

Again, we have to add this number to both sides of the equation. Now we’ve got:

x^2 – 3x + 2.25 + y^2 + y + 0.25 = 22.5 + 2.25 + 0.25.

We can factor and rewrite this like:

( x – 1.5)^2 + (y + 0.5)^2 = 25.

Alright, now this is finally in the right format for the equation for a circle!

The final step is to use this equation to find the radius.

We know that the equation for a circle is (x – h)^2 + (y – k)^2 = r^2  . Fortunately this works out really nicely, since 25 is just 5^2. The radius must be 5, CHOICE A .

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SAT Problem #13

This question involves a number of moving parts and thus can be a little overwhelming for students to follow. 

It asks us to find, based on the rotation of the first gear, the rotation of the third. 

I find many students trip up on this problem by making two errors that are simple to fix, but relatively common. They fail to take the problem step by step… and they fail to write down their work as they track through the material. 

With that in mind, let’s work through the problem. 

Because gears A and C do not connect directly, but instead through gear B, we should first try to figure out the rotational relationship between A and B (at 100 rpm) before applying that to B and C. 

Because B is larger than A (and has more gears), A is going to rotate fully multiple times before B rotates once. 

How many times? Here it’s helpful to consider a ratio. 

A has 20 gears. 

B has 60 gears. 

So A is going to have to rotate three times before B rotates once . (20 goes into 60 three times.) 

Therefore, the ratio of rotation between A and B is 3 : 1 . 

Let’s write that down and then apply the same method to figure out the ratio between B and C. 

C has 10 gears. 

Here B only has to rotate a sixth of its distance for C to rotate once, so the ratio of rotation between B and C is 1 : 6 .

Now we take the number of RPMs the problem gives us, start with the gear on the left and multiply through with our ratios. 

So if Gear A rotates 100 times RPMS per minute, Gear B will rotate a third of that distance… 

So we divide 100 by 3. 

Because we know Gear C rotates six times as fast as Gear B, we then take our answer and multiply it by 6. 

So we get (100)(⅓)(6) . 

Which gives us 200 rpm. 

CHOICE C. 

SAT Problem #14

This question appears complicated—and students often get tripped up trying to either plug in numbers (which can be time consuming) or by searching for an equation that explains the relationship between the surface area and perimeter of the cube itself. 

This is especially tempting because while the question gives us the equation for the entire surface area of the cube, it only asks for the perimeter of one of the cube’s faces. 

However… 

If we think about the properties of a cube, this question actually becomes quite simple. 

First, let’s draw a cube.  

Again, the equation the problem gives us is for the entire surface area of the cube: 6(a/4)^2 .

But when we look at the cube, we may notice that it has, in fact, six faces. 

Therefore, each face would have one sixth of the surface area of the entire cube. 

So by dividing the equation by six, we get the surface area for one face of the cube, which is: 

But the question asks for the perimeter of one face of the cube. 

Let’s examine the drawing of the cube one more time. 

What shape is each cube face? It’s a square. 

And because each side of a square (let’s call each side x ) is equal to the other, the area of the square is going to be x^2, or the length of the side times itself. 

Well, wait a moment… 

If we go back to our equation for the surface area of ONE face of the cube, (a/4)^2 , we might notice that it’s in the same form as the equation for area of the square, except instead of x being squared, it’s (a/4) . 

And if we replace the x with (a/4) , we find that each side of the square is equivalent to (a/4) . 

Which makes finding the perimeter of this square quite simple, because it has four sides. 

So we merely add the four sides together: 

(a/4) + (a/4) + (a/4) + (a/4) . . .

which equals a . 

Which in this case is CHOICE B . 

Want more practice? We collected 20 more of the hardest SAT math problems. Download the quiz and take it with a 25-minute timer to mimic the real test!

SAT Problem #15

We have a lot of variables in this question, so it’s easiest to try to incorporate the extra piece of information we’re given, b = c – (½) , as best we can and then try to simplify the problem and solve from there. 

So how can we do that? 

The problem tells us b = c – (½) , which can also be expressed as b – c = -(½) .

(Once we put the b and c together on one side, it becomes easier to replace them together with a number). 

So what’s the best way to manipulate these two equations so that we’ll have b – c , which we can then replace with the (-½) and be left with x and y ? 

Because let’s remember that the problem does not ask us to solve for x and y individually. 

Just their relationship. 

So once we’re left with x and y as our only two variables, we should be able to make good progress. 

Anyhow, looking back over these two equations it seems the easiest way to be left with b – c is to… 

…subtract the bottom equation from the top one. 

When we do so, we’re left with the following: 

(3x – 3y) + (b – c) = (5x – 5y) + (-7 – (-7))

We replace b – c with -½  

And then combine like terms to get… 

(-½) = (5x – 3x) – (5y + 3y)

(-½) = 2x – 2y

Divide through by 2 … 

-¼ = x – y

Or x = y – (¼)

So our an answer is x = y – ¼ , CHOICE A .

Download 20 more of the hardest problems ever

SAT Problem #16

There are a few ways to solve this problem. The easiest one is simply to know the “remainder theorem.”

I don’t want to get too sidetracked with details, but remainder theorem states that when polynomial g(x) is divided by (x – a) , the remainder is g(a) .

In other words, when p(x) is divided by  (x-3) here, the remainder would be p(3) , which, according to the information we’re given, is -2 . 

That leads to CHOICE D . 

But what if, like many students, you don’t know the remainder theorem? (It’s pretty obscure and there’s a good chance you won’t see a problem about it on the entire exam.) 

Let’s look at an alternative way to solve the problem. 

If p(3) equals -2 , let’s imagine a function where that might be the case. 

We could do as simple one, like y = 3x – 11 , or a more complex one, like y = x^2 + 3x – 20 .

Either way, if I plug 3 into either of these functions for x , I get -2 as a y value. 

I should also notice immediately that (x – 5) , (x – 2) , and (x + 2) are not factors of either of them.

Clearly choices A, B, and C are not things that must be true. 

This also, by process of elimination, leads to CHOICE D. 

But just to check, let’s divide x – 3 into one of these functions – say 3x – 11 – and see what happens: 

The x goes into 3x three times – and three times (x-3) equals 3x – 9 .

When I subtract 3x – 9 from 3x – 11 , I get -2 , which is my remainder. 

Which points us, again, to CHOICE D .

Test your knowledge with 20 more problems

If these problems feel really hard, don’t panic—you can still do well on the SAT without answering every question correctly. 

The average SAT Math score for US students in 2022 was 52 8, and you have to answer about 32 out of 58 math questions correctly to get this score. That’s only a little over half of the questions!

However, if you want a high score—or a perfect score—you’ll have to be able to answer tough questions like these. You’ll need a very high score to be a competitive applicant for Harvard, Stanford, MIT, or other highly competitive schools.

The good news is that it’s very possible to raise your math score! 

In fact, it’s typically easier to improve your SAT Math score than your Reading & Writing score. Good preparation (on your own or with a tutor ) will fill in the knowledge gaps for any concepts that might be shaky and then practice the most common problem types until they feel easy.

We’ve worked with students who were able to see a 200-point increase on the Math section alone, through lots of hard work and practice.

To see how your math skills stack up against the toughest parts of the SAT, download our quiz with 20 more of the hardest SAT math questions, taken from real tests administered in recent years.

Once you know where you stand, keep up the practice!

If you’re interested in customized one-on-one tutoring support from an expert SAT tutor who can help you understand these tough problems, schedule a free consultation with Jessica or one of our founders . Our Ivy-League tutors are top scorers themselves who can help you with these more advanced concepts and strategies.

Bonus Material: Quiz: 20 of the All-Time Hardest SAT Math Problems

Emily graduated  summa cum laude  from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

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18 Free SAT Practice Tests

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 11/29/23

Are you considering incorporating an SAT practice test in your preparation? This guide will shed light on the significance of utilizing practice tests to boost your readiness for the SAT.

When preparing for the SAT , practice tests are invaluable tools. They offer you the opportunity to time yourself effectively, become acquainted with the types of questions you'll encounter, and experiment with various strategies for each section.

While practice tests are essential, it's crucial to understand that they serve a unique purpose. SAT practice tests are designed to help you refine your test-taking skills and approach each section methodically in order to achieve a higher score. They are not replicas of the SAT itself; they are structured differently.

In this guide, we will delve into some SAT practice tests and how you can make the most of them in your SAT preparation journey.

16 Free SAT Practice Tests

These free SAT practice tests are here to help you get ready for the SAT and improve yor college admissions chances. As you work through them, don’t forget to rely on SAT tips and strategies to boost your test-taking skills and maximize your potential for success on exam day. Now, let's dive in together and work toward SAT success. 

Practice Test 1 (2016-Present)

This free SAT practice test, available from 2016 to the present, serves as an excellent starting point for SAT preparation. It includes sections for questions , answers , and detailed answer explanations . It's a valuable resource for assessing your initial skill level. 

Practice Test 2 (Removed By College Board)

Unfortunately, Practice Test 2 has been removed by the College Board. However, you can still work your way through this SAT practice test with answers . Along with a long list of questions , you can find in-depth answer explanations .

Practice Test 3 (2016-Present)

Similar to Practice Test 1, this test offers another opportunity to practice and refine your SAT skills. As you work on the questions , and compare your work to the provided answers , make sure to utilize the provided answer explanations to understand where you might need improvement. 

Practice Test 4 (Removed By College Board)

Like Practice Test 2, Practice Test 4 has been removed by the College Board. While its questions , answers and explanations can still be helpful - ensure you focus on the available official practice tests to align with the most current SAT content. 

Practice Test 5 (2016-Present)

This practice test continues to offer valuable SAT practice questions , answers , and explanations . Consistent practice is key to SAT success.

Practice Test 6 (2016-Present)

Practice Test 6 is another resource to aid in your SAT preparation journey. Regularly incorporating practice tests into your study routine can help build confidence and familiarity with the test format . So, do your best to work through these questions , take a look at the answers , and familiarize yourself with the answer explanations . 

Practice Test 7 (2016-Present)

As you progress in your preparation, Practice Test 7 can be a useful benchmark to gauge your improvement. While you work on the questions and answers , try to analyze your performance and use answer explanations to target weak areas. 

Practice Test 8 (2016-Present)

Similar to the previous tests, Practice Test 8 offers additional chances to refine your SAT skills. Be sure to time yourself while you work through the questions to replicate test-day conditions accurately. Afterward, review the answers and answer explanations to understand where you can improve and develop effective strategies.

Practice Test 9 (2016-Present)

By this point in your preparation, you should be well-versed in SAT question types and formats. Practice Test 9 can help solidify your knowledge and strategies by providing you with a set of SAT questions , answers , and answer explanations .

Practice Test 10 (2016-Present)

As your test date approaches, think of Practice Test 10 as your last practice before the big day. Take a close look at how you performed, go over the questions and your answers , and make sure to check the provided answer explanations . This thorough approach will give you the confidence and readiness you need for the real SAT.

Official SAT Printable Practice Test (2013-14)

This official SAT practice test from 2013-14 offers additional practice questions and answers . While it may not be the most up-to-date resource, it can still be beneficial for extra practice.

Official SAT Printable Practice Test (2012-13)

Similarly, the SAT practice test from 2012-13 provides a chance to work on your skills with real SAT questions and compare your work to real answers .

Official SAT Printable Practice Test (2007-08)

For those seeking more practice, this test from 2007-08 offers an array of SAT questions and answers .

Official SAT Printable Practice Test (2004-05)

Another official practice test from 2004-05 provides historical SAT questions and answers to further enhance your preparation.

Official SAT Test (2004-05)

This official SAT test from 2004-05, with its included questions and answers , can be a valuable resource for test takers looking to practice on authentic SAT material.

Official SAT Test (2003-04)

Much like the previous test, this official SAT exam from 2003-04 is a valuable resource to strengthen your skills. It includes useful practice questions and answers to assist you in your preparation.

Official SAT Test (2002)

This official SAT test from 2002 serves as an additional resource to bolster your SAT readiness.

Official SAT Test (2001)

For those interested in more historical SAT questions , this official test from 2001 can be a valuable asset.

Free Digital SAT Practice Tests

Don't forget to explore the College Board website for free digital SAT practice tests. These resources offer the convenience of online practice and can closely mimic the actual test-taking experience.

Are SAT Practice Tests Harder or Easier Than the Real SAT?

The official SAT is neither harder nor easier than official practice tests since every SAT is scored differently. The official SAT does have a curve that determines how they will grade each section, whether it is harsh or lenient. 

Their levels rank SAT practice tests’ difficulty; the higher the level, the more difficult it is. It all depends on how you study with the practice tests; they grade the results the same as the actual SAT, so your score can remain the same when you take the official SAT. Some students claim that the questions were harder on the official SAT or at the same level as their practice ones.

So to put it simply, it is neither harder nor easier. It all depends on how prepared you are for the official test and how well you do while taking a test.

Practice Test Scores vs. Real Scores

Your practice SAT scores can predict what type of score you will get on the official test. However, if you scored lower on the SAT than you did on the practice test, that is not uncommon. There can be many reasons, such as test anxiety, less time to read and understand each question, or just not being as confident as you were with the practice tests. 

Again, this is purely subjective; each test-taker is different, along with their studying methods and ways of learning. The point of doing practice SATs is to find out your strengths and weaknesses and work on them to get an optimal score on the real SAT. 

It is always helpful to refer to the SAT scoring chart and track your practice test scores to see how you can improve your raw score. There are many tips and tricks on how to do better on your SAT practice tests so you can improve your chances of passing the official test with flying colors.

Why Practice Tests and the Real SAT Aren’t the Same

Even though they offer a preview of what you will face on the official test, practice tests are not 100% accurate compared to the real thing. The content and how you take the test can be vastly different, which is why some students are shocked to learn that their scores are vastly different from what they scored on the practice test. 

There are two major reasons why the practice SAT isn’t the same as the official one.

SAT Practice Tests aren’t taken in realistic settings. When doing the practice SAT, you are usually in the comfort of your own home, on your laptop or desktop, accessing the practice portals whenever you like. The guide to the answers is put in front of you, and you can take breaks whenever you like before getting to the difficult sections of the test. 

When the real test day comes, you wake up early to go to an unfamiliar test center where you can be subjected to uneasiness and limited breaks. You are then given a time limit on each section and may find yourself rushing to complete each section before time runs out. This is vastly different from the homemade open-book test you have been referencing all this time.

The second reason is that students tend to revert to their old habits under massive stress. The current SAT may have new content in its sections, and if you have taken prep courses and tutoring alongside your practice tests, you may have been taught new methods for approaching each question. 

For example, you may have been taught a certain way to answer a math problem when it comes to math. When it comes to SAT math, however, you were taught a new quicker method to approach the math questions for the sake of time conservation. 

When put in a new test set, you can forget the new methods and stick with what you are more familiar with. This can greatly hinder your SAT score , and your results can be lower than you anticipated. 

According to College Panda , the sections may have different question types as content unfamiliar with when you used the practice SATs. These patterns can throw you off guard when taking the official test.

This chart categorizes the differences between the official SAT by section: 

The reading sections are difficult to compare because there is no sure-fire way to quantify each passage’s difficulty level appropriately, and the questions can not be specifically categorized. 

Rest assured, though, the reading section may be tweaked as well to fit the current year’s SAT protocol.

How to Make the Most of Practice Tests

Even if the practice tests are not a carbon copy of the real thing, they are not useless. You need to understand how to use them to get the best possible score on the official test. Here are some tips on using the practice tests to your benefit.

Practice as a Real Simulation

To avoid a culture shock when you first enter the testing center on your test day:

• Do a practice run in your own house.
• Turn off your phone, get rid of snacks or drinks, and do other things that would provide a distraction to get an accurate exam room.
• Have short breaks, and use scrap paper for your test booklet. This will allow you to get used to the environment and note any discomfort you have had during this run.

That way, you can make adjustments and prepare for an actual day.

Practice Your Test-Taking Strategies

When you are studying, you develop certain exam-taking strategies. Perhaps you prefer dealing with easier questions first, then go back to the harder questions. Whatever method you have, gives you autonomy over the exam, but you have to know exactly which methods work in your favor. 

That way, you will be prepared for the official SAT and won’t be thrown off guard by the questions. Practice tests are a great way to keep track of your strategies, as they will be a very important part of your preparation process.

Practice with a Bubble Sheet

Bubble sheets are part of the SAT and are usually the most trivial instrument for students during the exam. You may get the answer right on the booklet but get it wrong on your bubble sheet. 

By practicing with a bubble sheet, you are giving yourself the advantage of keeping track of your answers when you take the real test. It can also prevent you from circling the wrong answer on a different line on the test (this is especially for the Reading section).

Find Your Area of Focus

Out of all the sections of the SAT, which one do you struggle with the most? Math? Reading? 

Are you more concerned with the time limits you have for each section? Are you susceptible to losing your energy halfway through an exam? 

When using practice SATs, you can pinpoint where you need to focus and how you can resolve those issues so you are relaxed and ready for test day. You cannot fix something you are not aware of. 

Review Practice Test Answers and Explanations

When you have taken a five-hour practice SAT, it would probably be exhausting to review the answers and the explanations. You must take a well-deserved break so you can check out the explanations with a refreshed and active mind. 

You should then identify which questions you answered incorrectly and why. Take note of the explanations and refer to any relevant material to be prepared for any similar questions in the future. 

Studying with SAT experts can also help you review questions and concepts efficiently. Expert tutors can help you pinpoint areas for improvement and sharpen up your test-taking skills! If you live in NYC, we can even provide specialized NYC SAT tutoring to help you ace your exams.

FAQs: SAT Practice Tests 

Still, have questions regarding the practice SAT and the official one? Here are some FAQs that give a better insight into the matter. 

1. How Can I Score as High on the Real SAT as I Did on the Practice SAT?

The best advice would be to practice! Do the practice tests, review your incorrect answers, find your strengths and weaknesses, and work on any weaknesses you noticed in practice SAT. These are your best options when it comes to wanting a great score. 

2. How Many Practice SATs Should I Take?

It is advised to take 3 to 4 mock tests about four to six weeks before the official test date. That way, you can practice in mock test environments and get used to them. Then, it would not hurt to take 2-3 more mock tests a month before the test day. It is important to time these tests, too to score in your desired range.

3. If the Practice Tests Aren’t Accurate, Why Should I Do Them?

Just because they are not 100% accurate does not mean they are useless to you. Practice SATs are more so a guide to give you a preview of what the SAT is like and allow you to analyze your strengths and test-taking skills. It can also help you work on any issues regarding the SAT so you are prepared once the official test date comes. 

4. What Are the Hardest SAT Practice Tests?

It depends on the student, but a consensus claims that Practice Test #3 could be the most difficult for a first-time SAT taker. It would help if you went over each practice test and ranked which one is hardest, so you can spend more time dealing with those before heading to the easier ones. 

5. What Are Some of the Best Free Sat Practice Tests?

You are always free to search online for practice tests to help you study. You can also ask your school about resources and information on affordable practice tests and prep courses. There is usually a list of the top best programs that offer Practice SATs.

6. I Have Test Anxiety. How Can I Take the Real SAT?

Being anxious is a normal response to something as stressful as the SAT. Aside from practicing, you can also take some breathing exercises and relaxation techniques during your study time to learn not to panic on the actual test day. These methods can be very effective in calming you down.

7. How Long Should I Study for the SAT?

It depends on you and your daily schedule. A solid schedule would advise you to study 10 to 20 hours a week, approximately two to three months before the test date. If you feel like you need more than that, you can adjust the hours of your own will.

Final Thoughts

To sum it up, these sample SAT practice tests are your key to SAT success. They provide the practice you need to excel on the actual test. With dedication and consistent practice, you'll be well-prepared for the SAT. So, don't wait, start using these resources today, and set yourself up for your best SAT score!

Take on 5 free practice SAT questions here

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15 Hardest SAT Writing & Language Questions

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• How Do SAT Scores Impact Your College Chances?
• SAT Writing & Language Topics

15 Hardest SAT Writing & Language Questions

The SAT Writing & Language section is 35 minutes long and features 44 questions. You’ll be asked to read passages and correct any weaknesses in the writing. Questions cover aspects like tone, word choice, syntax, punctuation, and more. 

If you’d like more practice with the trickier writing concepts, this is the post for you! In this post, we will cover the hardest SAT Writing and Language questions we’ve come across out of many of the College Board’s officially released tests . 

Of course, “hard” is subjective, so some of these may actually seem easy to you, and that’s fine! Our goal is simply to help you identify your grammatical strengths and weaknesses.

How do SAT Scores Impact Your College Chances?

Currently, most colleges accept both the ACT or SAT and take it heavily into consideration as a predictor of college success (outside of non-COVID years). In fact, selective schools use grades and test scores as a filter, so if your academics aren’t up to par, you may get automatically rejected. 

If you want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools, you might like our free Chancing Engine . It will help you predict your odds, let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and suggest aspects of your profile to improve. Unlike other solely stats-based chancing calculators, ours considers much of your entire profile, including your stats, extracurriculars, and demographic background. 

Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and jumpstart your college journey! 

SAT Writing & Language Question Topics

Before diving into the questions, we want you to understand the terms that the SAT uses to categorize the topics as defined by the College Board . We’ve also included the number of questions that fall under each category, so if you’re self-studying, you can prioritize the types of questions that appear more often or that you struggle with more.

Command of Evidence

These questions may ask you to improve the way passages develop information and ideas. This may involve choosing answers to sharpen an argumentative claim or add relevant supporting detail.

Words in Context

These questions may ask you to improve word choice based on the text surrounding them. You will aim to make a passage more precise or concise or to improve syntax, style, or tone.

Expression of Ideas

These questions ask about a passage’s organization and its impact. You will be asked which words or structural changes improve the author’s point and help their sentences and paragraphs work together. 

Standard English Conventions

These cover the building blocks of writing: sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. You’ll be asked to change words, clauses, sentences, and punctuation. Some topics covered include verb tense, parallel construction, subject-verb agreement, and comma usage.  

Data Interpretation

This isn’t a question type that is officially listed, but about 2% of questions will involve a data-based graphic like a chart, table, or graph. You may be asked to edit the graph to make it more accurate or select a data-based sentence to add to support an argument.

From Practice Test 3:

Category: Command of Evidence

Explanation:

While somewhat related to the message of the text, this piece of information is best left out here, as it would hinder its natural flow. Without it, the passage flows smoothly from the first mention of circadian rhythms to a more detailed explanation of them. 

A is incorrect because although this data might be useful for the reader to know, the placement is awkward and interruptive. If the author were to choose to include this information, it would likely be best for them to do so later in the passage, where the effects of sleep deprivation are discussed. 

B is incorrect because A) the placement still disrupts the flow, and B) it fits better with the latter part of the paragraph, where the effects of sleep deprivation are discussed.

D is incorrect because while its comment on the nature of the statistic is true, it is irrelevant to the objective of the passage.

This question refers to the following text:

For as long as Harvey Houses served rail travelers through the mid-twentieth century, working there was a steady and lucrative position for women. Living independently and demonstrating an intense work ethic; the Harvey Girls became known as a transformative force in the American [22] West . Advancing the roles of women in the restaurant industry and the American workforce as a whole, the Harvey Girls raised the standards for restaurants and blazed a trail in the fast-changing landscape of the western territories. 

For context, the passage concerns a significant change in the food industry. Railway food was originally of poor quality and provided with poor service. Additionally, most waitstaff were men. Businessman Fred Harvey introduced high-quality dining for the first time and intentionally hired a well-mannered, articulate, all-woman staff. It was the U.S.’s first restaurant chain and, as the latter paragraphs of the passage explain, it became immediately and massively popular, empowering women in the workforce and altering the U.S. restaurant economy.

A is the correct answer because it recognizes the fact that this information specifically evidences the transformative nature of the Harvey Girls’ influence. 

B is incorrect because the information does not actually serve as a transitional point, as the target sentence is not followed by a discussion of these cultural developments.

C is incorrect because A) this answer does not specify precisely where this passage should be moved to or why, and B) the earlier parts of the passage mainly focused on the then-current effects of the Harvey Girls, not later cultural developments.

D is incorrect because the passage mainly serves to illustrate the Harvey Girls’ transformative effect (as partially evidenced by the passage title, “Transforming the American West Through Food and Hospitality”) This objective is supported by this evidence of its artistic and intellectual impacts.

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From Practice Test 5:

Choice C is the best answer for two reasons. For starters, the year 1954 disrupts the chronology of previous examples (1974, 2004). Secondly, the example concerns television news, which is out of place in a passage aptly titled “Investigative Journalism: An Evolving American Tradition.”

A is incorrect because this clarification is unnecessary in a passage that is not actually mainly focused on political corruption. Additionally, it is already directly stated in the paragraph that journalism has served “to keep those in power accountable.”

B is incorrect because the sentence is out of place in the paragraph and the passage does not necessitate a “counterpoint” as this is an informative, not argumentative, piece. Additionally, this evidence, if included, would support, not challenge, the author’s previous evidence and claims that informational media helps hold the powerful accountable.

D is incorrect because while it correctly states that the sentence should not be added, their reasoning is incorrect. This example of journalists reporting a story to expose a powerful person is consistent with the passage’s definition of investigative journalism. 

Category: Command of Evidence 

Choice D is the best answer because sentence 2 mentions the high price of the playwright’s tickets, which logically follows sentence 5’s description of how the price of tickets was determined. Sentence 2’s claim that the price reflected the real cost of the performance also logically precedes sentence 6, which discusses the non-altruistic nature of these donations.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because sentence 2 does not naturally follow sentences 1, 3, or 4, respectively. Since sentences 3, 4, and 5 present a logical sequence of activities that establish the ticket price, sentence 2’s reflection on the overall price of the tickets would be out of place. Therefore, sentence 2 must come after the completion of this sequence; it can’t come before the sequence, as noted in choice A, or interrupt it, as noted in choices B and C.

From Practice Test 1:

This question refers to the following sentence:

“Also, because it is more concentrated, Greek yogurt contains slightly more protein per serving, thereby helping people stay [10] satiated for longer periods of time.

Category: Words in Context 

A is correct because “satiated” is the word that most accurately communicates that Greek yogurt wards off hunger specifically for long periods of time. 

B is one of those questions that students may pick due to overthinking, but it is incorrect because although “fulfilled” may seem like a tempting answer to students who understand that “fulfillment” indicates some degree of met satisfaction (often in spirituality or career), the word is virtually never used in reference to hunger.

C and D are incorrect because neither could specifically refer to somebody who has eaten and is now full.

You should not be afraid to choose “NO CHANGE” when the original answer is the most fitting.

We’re going to include the first paragraph of this passage to give you a sense of this passage’s tone, but if you’d like to read the whole passage, you may do so here . This question refers to the word “sinister’, as bolded below:

“Just as travelers taking road trips today may need to take a break for food at a rest area along the highway, settlers traversing the American West by train in the mid-1800s often found [12] themselves in need of refreshment. However, food available on rail lines was generally of terrible quality. [13] Despite having worked for railroad companies, Fred Harvey, an English-born [14] entrepreneur. He decided to open his own restaurant business to serve rail customers. Beginning in the 1870s, he opened dozens of restaurants in rail stations and dining cars. These Harvey Houses, which constituted the first restaurant chain in the United States, [15] was unique for its high standards of service and quality. The menu was modeled after those of fine restaurants, so the food was leagues beyond the [16] sinister fare travelers were accustomed to receiving in transit.”

Category: Words in Context

C is correct because it maintains earlier claims of restaurant food being of poor quality while still maintaining the formal tone established earlier in the passage.

A is incorrect because “sinister” ascribes too much agency and humanity to food.

B is incorrect because “surly” inappropriately personifies food.

D is incorrect because “icky” is too informal for this passage’s tone.

From Practice Test 3.

“1-MCP lengthens storage life by three to four times when applied to apples. This extended life allows producers to sell their apples in the off-season, months after the apples have been harvested.”

A is correct because its first clause explains 1-MCP’s impacts on apples, centering the sentence on 1-MCP and creating a concise, natural progression of information.

B is incorrect because it involves an awkwardly-placed subordinate clause and lacks conciseness and flow.

C is incorrect because it is awkward and flows poorly, with an ineffective progression of ideas.

D is incorrect because it is awkward and flows poorly, with an ineffective progression of ideas.

This question refers to the underlined sentence within the following excerpt:

[6] Though these conservation methods can be costly and time-consuming, they are well worth the effort. Nutritionists consider Greek yogurt to be a healthy food: it is an excellent source of calcium and protein, serves to be a digestive aid, and it contains few calories in its unsweetened low- and non-fat forms. Greek yogurt is slightly lower in sugar and carbohydrates than conventional yogurt is.

The paragraph preceding this one describes the negative environmental impacts of acid whey, which is released as a byproduct of Greek yogurt production, before transitioning into a description of ways that scientists and farmers work to offset these negative effects. 

Category: Expression of Ideas

Choice D is correct because the paragraph really does list the benefits of consuming Greek yogurt, supporting this initial claim of production-based conservation methods being “well worth the effort.”

A is incorrect because the sentence actually does serve as a good transition between the previous paragraph, which details the environmental drawbacks and conservation efforts regarding Greek yogurt production, and the following one, which explains why these costly methods are justified by the benefits of Greek yogurt.

B is incorrect because this sentence was created not to support any previous arguments, but to set up a new one. Therefore, B misinterprets the sentence in question.

C is incorrect because it misinterprets the sentence in question.

From Practice Test 1. 

The question refers to the following text:

The article, published by Forbes magazine, explained that coworking spaces are designated locations that, for a fee, individuals can use to conduct their work. The spaces are usually stocked with standard office equipment, such as photocopiers, printers, and fax machines. In these locations, however, the spaces often include small meeting areas and larger rooms for hosting presentations. [28] The cost of launching a new coworking business in the United States is estimated to be approximately $58,000.

What most caught my interest, though, was a quotation from someone who described coworking spaces as “melting pots of creativity.” The article refers to a 2012 survey in which 64 percent of respondents noted that coworking spaces prevented them from completing tasks in a given time. The article goes on to suggest that the most valuable resources provided by coworking spaces are actually the people whom use them.

Choice C is the best answer because the sentence distracts from the paragraph’s main focus. The cost of setting up a coworking business is irrelevant to all parts of this paragraph and passage, which serves to illustrate the merits of coworking spaces, not the process of building them. 

Choice A is incorrect because as previously mentioned, this detail does not support the paragraph’s main topic. 

Choice B is incorrect because the sentence has nothing to do with the second paragraph’s illustration of the resources provided by these spaces.

D is incorrect because this information has not been repeated anywhere else in the passage.

Question 10

The question refers to the underlined portion of this passage’s second paragraph: 

“ Artificial light sources are also costly aside from lowering worker productivity. They typically constitute anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of a building’s energy use . When a plant in Seattle, Washington, was redesigned for more natural light, the company was able to enjoy annual electricity cost reductions of $500,000 8 each year..”

For context, the previous paragraph first explained the negative effects of artificial light on worker health before explaining their negative effects on worker productivity. 

Choice A is the correct answer because it begins by referencing the previous paragraph’s topic before launching into the second paragraph’s topic of cost.

Choices B, C, and D are all not the best answers because they are written rather awkwardly in comparison to Choice A. In addition, they all fail to provide a smooth transition, either by not opening with a reference to the previous paragraph or not referencing the second paragraph’s topic. 

Question 11

This question refers to this sentence:

Nutritionists consider Greek yogurt to be a healthy food: it is an excellent source of calcium and protein, serves [7] to be a digestive aid, and it contains few calories in its unsweetened low- and non-fat forms.

Category: Standard English Conventions

Choice B is the best answer because it provides a grammatically standard preposition that connects the verb “serves” and the noun “digestive aid” to accurately depict their relationship. 

A is incorrect because the infinitive “to be” creates a grammatically incorrect verb construction: “serves to be.” 

Choices C and D are incorrect because both present options that deviate from standard English usage. 

Some students may struggle with prepositions in particular, so definitely brush up on their respective usages if that sounds like you!

Question 12

The novelty of this comfortable work-from-home life, however, [23] soon got worn off quickly. 

D is correct because “wore” is the only answer that abides by standard English conventions while also not being repetitive.

A, B, and C are all incorrect because “promptly” and “quickly” contain a redundancy.

Question 13

“Having become frustrated trying to solve difficult problems, [24] no colleagues were nearby to share ideas .”

D is correct because it correctly describes the narrator as having become frustrated and discovering a desire to be surrounded by helpful colleagues.

A, B, and C are all incorrect because they incorrectly attribute the action of having become frustrated to colleagues, instead of to the narrator. 

Question 14

From Practice Test 7:

This question refers to the underlined portion of the following sentence:

“In truth, the agency has a widespread positive [2] effect on society by serving as a catalyst for innovation and scientific understanding [3] to create jobs, and showing humanity its place within the universe.”

Choice A is correct because the noun “effect” is needed in the sentence to provide a direct object for the verb “has.” The article “a” indicates that a noun will follow.

B and D use the incorrect word to refer to the agency’s impact on society.

C is incorrect because the word “to” is an  inaccurate preposition to use here.

Students frequently mix up “affect” and “effect” because they sound the same and have similar definitions. Here’s a quick mnemonic to help you remember: “ Affect is the action ; effect is the end result .” For example, a person may positively affect their health by sleeping 8 hours a night, while increased energy would be a positive effect of doing so. “Affect” is a verb, while “effect” is a noun.

Question 15

Category: Data Interpretation

Choice B is correct because the graph shows that on March 5, average low temperatures hit their lowest at 12 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Choice A is incorrect because the phrase “as low as” suggests that the temperature falls no lower than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the chart shows that in January, February, and March, the temperature dips below that point. 

Choices C and D are incorrect because their information does not match the chart’s. 

Final Tips 

Tackling practice questions can be a great way to up your writing skills for the SAT and help you take note of your weaknesses. We especially recommend honing specific skills, especially the ones you may struggle with more. This could involve studying key grammar rules, reviewing words with multiple meanings, workshopping your own writing, reading informational texts, and even interpreting graphical data.

Finally, keep in mind that while taking the test, you’ll likely come across multiple options that seem plausible, so it’s easy to get stuck waffling between a few possibilities. Stay focused on what, specifically, the question is asking and avoid being swayed by answers that look “kind of correct” but which really aren’t the best choice in fulfilling the author’s aim.

To learn more about how to do well on the SAT, check out our other posts:

• 15 Hardest SAT Math Questions
• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Reading Test
• Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Writing and Language Test
• Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Math Test
• Links to Every SAT Practice Test + Other Free Resources

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

SAT Practice Test

Prepare for your test with realistic questions.

The SAT is considered a college readiness test, assessing the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an undergraduate program. Many universities and colleges across the country require the SAT as a prerequisite.

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SAT Practice Tests by Subject

If you need some extra practice in a specific subject, click one of the subjects below to get started on a subject-specific SAT practice test.

SAT Math Practice Test SAT Reading Practice Test

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What’s on the SAT?

The SAT includes a reading and writing test and a math test. There are a total of 98 questions on the SAT, most of which are multiple-choice questions, and you are given 134 minutes to finish the test.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the SAT:

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How to Study for the SAT

How to study effectively.

Your success on SAT test day depends not only on how many hours you put into preparing but also on whether you prepared the right way. It’s good to check along the way to see whether your studying is paying off. One of the most effective ways to do this is by taking SAT practice tests to evaluate your progress. Practice tests are useful because they show exactly where you need to improve. Every time you take a free SAT practice test, pay special attention to these three groups of questions:

• The questions you got wrong
• The ones you had to guess on, even if you guessed right
• The ones you found difficult or slow to work through

This will show you exactly what your weak areas are and where you need to devote more study time. Ask yourself why each of these questions gave you trouble. Was it because you didn’t understand the material? Was it because you didn’t remember the vocabulary? Do you need more repetitions on this type of question to build speed and confidence? Dig into those questions and figure out how you can strengthen your weak areas as you go back to review the material.

Answer Explanations

Additionally, many SAT practice tests have a section explaining the answer choices. It can be tempting to read the explanation and think that you now have a good understanding of the concept. However, an explanation likely only covers part of the question’s broader context. Even if the explanation makes sense, go back and investigate every concept related to the question until you’re positive you have a thorough understanding.

Comprehend Each Topic

As you go along, keep in mind that the SAT practice test is just that: practice. Memorizing these questions and answers will not be very helpful on the actual test because it is unlikely to have any of the same exact questions. If you only know the right answers to the sample questions, you won’t be prepared for the real thing. Study the concepts until you understand them fully, and then you’ll be able to answer any question that shows up on the test.

Strategy for SAT Practice

When you’re ready to start taking practice tests, follow this strategy:

• Remove Limitations. Take the first test with no time constraints and with your notes and SAT study guide handy. Take your time and focus on applying the strategies you’ve learned.
• Time Yourself. Take the second practice test “open book” as well, but set a timer and practice pacing yourself to finish in time.
• Simulate Test Day. Take any other practice tests as if it were test day. Set a timer and put away your study materials. Sit at a table or desk in a quiet room, imagine yourself at the testing center, and answer questions as quickly and accurately as possible.
• Keep Practicing. Keep taking practice tests on a regular basis until you run out of practice tests or it’s time for the actual test. Your mind will be ready for the schedule and stress of test day, and you’ll be able to focus on recalling the material you’ve learned.

Check Out Mometrix's SAT Flashcards

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By Peter Rench

Peter Rench joined Mometrix in 2009 and serves as Vice President of Product Development, responsible for overseeing all new product development and quality improvements. Mr. Rench, a National Merit Scholar, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&M University.

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by Mometrix Test Preparation | This Page Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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The Most Difficult College Board Practice SAT Test

Finding The Hardest SAT Practice Test And Why It Matters

There are 8 free practice SAT exams offered through the College Board’s official website . These tests present the opportunity to simulate what it will be like to take the SAT on test day, and will also allow you to calculate your score to see where you are relative to your goals.

When you’re preparing for the SAT, taking advantage of every single resource you have is key, especially when the College Board is releasing official practice tests.

But, just like with the real SAT, you might wonder if one practice exam is going to be harder than the other. When it comes to the real thing, this also leads to a host of follow-up questions: what if my SAT is harder than usual? Will it hurt my chances of getting a good score? How do they make sure the test is fair?

Don’t worry — the College Board makes sure all of their SAT exams, whether it’s the October exam or the May exam, are as fair as possible for all test takers by equating scores. Read more to find out what equating does and to see which College Board practice test is the hardest.

What Does “Equating” The SAT Mean?

The College Board uses what it calls “Equating” to adjust for different difficulty levels between exams. This involves adjusting the score a student receives for getting a certain number of incorrect answers.

The variations between tests are not big, so it’s important to remember that your score will always fall in a similar range for a given number of wrong answers.

For example, if you wanted to get a perfect score on the 2021 April SAT, you would have needed to get every answer correct on all sections. But for the May 2021 SAT, students who missed one question on the reading section could still get a perfect score!

Is Equating The Same As Curving?

It’s important to remember that equating is not the same thing as curving. Curving is a retroactive process that adjusts an individual student’s performance based on the performance of other students on the same test.

Equating standards (the conversion table of right/wrong answers to score) is designed with the test itself, and does not change based on student performance on the exam.

No matter how other students perform on the test, you’ll still get the same score!

What Makes Some SAT Practice Tests Harder Than Others?

Some SATs might have to equate scales that allow students fewer wrong answers to get their desired score but with easier questions. Other SATs might be scaled more generously, but only because they have harder questions that the designers of the test expect students to struggle with.

It’s also important to remember that the test is broken up between both Math and  English  sections. Some exams have more generous Math scales and harder English scales. Similarly, tests might have slightly harder Math sections and slightly easier English sections. Whichever subject a student most struggles with will determine which test seems toughest.

It’s also extremely important to realize that what makes a practice test hard for you can be completely unique to your strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, it’s the most helpful to focus on practicing as much as possible during your SAT prep period to understand your test score before taking the actual SAT. If you see you’re consistently missing math section questions, focus on learning from your mistakes, studying SAT math concepts, and taking more practice math sections.

Regardless of a test’s level of difficulty, there are a few things you can always control. When you’re taking the actual SAT, make sure to never leave a question blank . The same advice applies to your practice SAT exams, but make sure you mark which ones you guessed on; if you guess correctly but didn’t make a note, you could skip over a question that you need help with.

The more practice tests you take, the more familiarity you gain with not just the structure of the exam, but also the curriculum they test you on. You might also begin to pick up on certain patterns or types of answer choices the test-makers like to include to confuse students!

Hardest Math SAT Practice Test

Remember that a more generous equating scale means a harder test. So for students who struggle with math, SAT Practice Test #3 is probably going to be the most difficult. That is because the equating scale looks like this compared to other practice tests:

Getting the same number of math questions wrong on Practice Test 3 leads to a score that is 20-40 points higher than on other practice tests. This is because the math questions are thought to be more difficult, and so it is harder to get that many correct answers.

If you’re looking for a math challenge, Test 3 is the way to go.

Hardest English SAT Practice Test

We can also do the same thing for the English sections of the SAT Practice Tests to see which exam is designed to be a little more difficult.

For students who struggle with SAT Reading, it turns out Practice Test #3 also has the toughest English scale too! Remember that the  Writing  and Reading scales are slightly different here, so for this table, we’re assuming our wrong answers were evenly divided between the Reading and Writing Sections.

If you get the same number of incorrect answers on Practice Test 3 as you do on Practice Test 10, the College Board thinks that should be worth a 50-60 point increase in your scaled score.

So for both Math and English, the College Board thinks students won’t get as many answers right with Practice Test 3 as they will on other tests.

Which Official SAT Practice Test Is The Hardest?

Since it has the hardest scale for both sections of the test, it should come as no surprise that we think Practice Test #3 is clearly the toughest official SAT practice test .

In online forums, students also tend to identify Test #3 as the hardest of the official practice tests, so there truly seems to be a clear consensus.

It’s important to remember though that a hard practice test can actually be a great resource! Students can work through the test untimed, as they know even with plenty of time the problems will still be quite challenging. They can also practice the test with a tutor or parent, who can help them with the toughest questions. Having a strong SAT score to include in your college applications can only help, not hurt.

Why You Should Take Practice Test 3

You might make more mistakes than you usually do if you take Practice Test 3. While it seems counterintuitive, mistakes can actually be super helpful when you’re preparing for your SAT because you can study the concepts you missed and learn from your mistakes.

Taking the hardest available practice test will mean you’ve done everything you possibly can in order to prepare for test day, which can also help you relieve some test anxiety because you know you’ve challenged yourself.

The SAT is obviously a very important part of the college admissions process, so making sure you have a good grasp of the SAT concepts can even help push you in the right direction if you’re looking for admission into a top school, especially one in the Ivy League.

Juggling a high school schedule isn’t easy, and preparing for the SAT on top of everything else can get extremely stressful. But, if you can find time to practice for the actual test, it will definitely pay off in the long run.

How Can I Use Practice Tests To Boost My SAT Score?

Taking full-length practice tests is a guaranteed way to help you score higher on the SAT. But, you shouldn’t be taking them on autopilot. Here are a few tips to help you utilize SAT practice tests to the maximum:

• Look over every single question you answered incorrectly or skipped after grading your practice test
• Follow the time limits noted for each section to help mimic test day conditions
• Read the answer explanations — it will help you understand where you went wrong and see how the test makers think
• Revisit old tests and redo some of the questions you got incorrect the first time — if you got it incorrect the first time but correct the second time, it shows you’re learning the curriculum and probably won’t make that same mistake again
• When you’re reviewing difficult math problems that you missed, make sure to solve out each step and understand the rationale behind every single one before moving on
• After grading your practice test, reread the reading passages to see if there is a way to identify and remember important information as you read — a smart way to do this is to underline and circle phrases or sentences you might need to quickly find again when you answer the questions
• Make a “study guide” listing all of the different topics or concepts you need to review and study before taking another practice test. For example, it can include concepts that you need to remember for the exam (like how to solve for slope)
• See what types of questions you miss and focus on how you can become better. If you’re missing main idea questions, look for online SAT resources that specifically focus on main idea questions for tips and tricks
• Understand your score percentile ! College admissions officers will be looking at how well you scored compared to your peers at school, so knowing where you stand will give you a good sense of how much more practice you might need

Even if you don’t have access to test prep books, you can use the free College Board practice tests and free online resources to practice for the SAT!

Most students like to take their SATs as juniors so they have some time before sending out college applications, so you should be thinking about your SAT prep schedule and when you plan to be done practicing so you can take the exam. Especially since sending colleges your SAT and ACT scores can take some time, you don’t want to be in a stressful rush. Start taking practice tests and completing test prep as early as you can!

All in all, if you’re the type of student who’s reading through this article to find the hardest SAT practice test, you’re probably already doing a great job with test preparation. Try not to get too stressed and keep working hard — good luck!

SoFlo Tutoring

We get it — taking standardized tests like the SAT is hard, time-consuming, and stressful. SoFlo Tutors are from top colleges across the states, have all gone through the same process, and scored in the top percentiles, whether it was for the SAT exam, ACT test, or even the PSAT.

SoFlo Tutors  are ready to help with expert knowledge and personalized programming that can fit the needs of any student.

Call or visit our website today to learn more about how SoFlo can help you reach your full potential.

• All official College Board practice SAT tests: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/practice-preparation/practice-tests

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The SAT is now digital for the first time. One test expert says the new format makes the test easier.

• A new digital SAT is now being offered for the first time. 
• The test is shorter, adaptive, and tests real-world skills.
• One test expert says it's easier than past versions but clarifies it's still not an easy test. 

In March, the first US high school students took the SAT exam — digitally.

This switch to digital comes as many top-tier colleges, such as Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown, are reversing their decision to be exam-optional — a trend that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a recent study suggests that test scores actually do predict academic performance and college success — better than high school grades.

Shaan Patel — the founder and CEO of Prep Expert, with more than two decades of experience with the popular college entrance exam — told Business Insider the test will be significantly different than in the past. It may even be easier.

The digital SAT has some content changes

For starters, the digital test will be shorter and adaptive. That means the test will get harder as the student progresses through it, but the level of difficulty will depend on how they performed on earlier questions.

According to Patel, the digital SAT is also more "student-friendly" than previous years.

For example, in the past, there was a section where students couldn't use the calculator, but on the digital SAT, Patel said a calculator could be used on all the questions.

"There's even a digital calculator built into the testing application, in case you don't have a graphing calculator," Patel said.

Related stories

In addition, the reading passages are a lot shorter in the new exam. The essay section has also been dissolved, and the grammar questions have now been integrated with the reading section.

"So it really tests your reading and writing together, which I think will be a welcome change for most people," Patel said.

Plus, there are new question types where students read notes and decipher what is most relevant.

"I think that's a super useful skill in the real world where you get a long email, and you have to sift through the important data," Patel said.

He added students no longer have to memorize difficult, obscure vocabulary words that were once required.

The digital SAT is easier

"The new question types are actually testing students in a much more real-world manner than the previous versions of the SAT," Patel said. "Overall, this test will be more relevant to real-world skills . So, I'm optimistic the changes will be good."

He said, in that regard, the SAT will be easier.

"But, I want to be careful about saying it's easy," Patel said. "I don't think it's easy because what's going to happen is with the adaptive testing structure…you are going to see harder questions as you go along, even though you're going to see fewer questions."

Prep for the SAT shouldn't change all that much

Patel recommended that all students download the College Board's Bluebook app , where they can take practice tests and familiarize themselves with the new adaptive feature.

"They must get used to not letting their brain become overused at the end of the test since that is when most students will encounter the hardest questions," Patel said.

But the most important piece of advice remained the same: prep early.

"I usually recommend getting started in 10th grade so that by the time the fall of 11th grade rolls around, you'll be ready to knock the PSAT out of the park," Patel said, "because the PSAT, especially this new digital PSAT , is more similar to the digital SAT than ever."

Watch: The SAT is getting a massive overhaul — and they’re ditching one of the most annoying parts

• Main content

First-ever digital SAT exam scores are out. How did NJ do?

4-minute read.

Scores from the first-ever digital SAT exam, administered on March 9 across the U.S., are in for thousands of anxious American teenagers.

"Results are flooding in," said Philip Bates, a former high school principal who is director of content at the Texas-based SAT tutoring firm UWorld.

Its too early to talk trends, Bates said, but one perk of the digital SAT is the quick turnaround in score delivery — between 10 days and two weeks. "Students don't have to stress about scores for weeks and weeks," he said.

Bates said Friday that he was seeing a range of results.

"You're seeing some students who are super happy and they've raised their scores, you're seeing some who dropped their scores compared to the old test, and some the same," he said.

Results have most to do with how students prepared for the digital test, Bates said. "I would speculate that if you have a student who used old preparation and wasn't looking at the new style of test, their scores probably dropped, because of how the content is presented, and the style of particularly the verbal questions is so different," he said.

"Students who increased their scores probably did a lot of practicing with online content, instead of paper, and got used, for example, to the new format of the test, including using the in-app Desmos calculator for math," Bates said.

Emotional reactions filled an online Reddit thread discussing the score releases for the March 9 digital test, including a survey comparing scores on the College Board's sample tests and the actual one. One mom said about her daughter, "she & everyone she knows agrees that the Math Mod 2 was INSANELY hard, so we weren’t surprised when her official math score was below her practice numbers."

More than 200,000 students took the digital SAT at 3,000 test centers in 173 countries on March 9, the College Board said in a press release. Among SAT Weekend digital test takers, 99.8% successfully completed their exam and submitted their results. Over 400,000 students took the digital SAT, PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 during the school day that week, the board said.

Because the College Board published only four digital tests for preparation, some tutors used digital tests from major test prep companies to further prepare their students. "The practice material from test prep companies we were using was not commensurate with the difficulty level of the College Board's practice tests in both math and English," said Sarah Burton of Aspen Tutoring in Ridgewood, who runs the center with English teacher Meaghan Ozaydin.

One New Jersey test prep educator who did not want to be named until they took a more thorough look at the results for their clients said the adaptive nature of the math portion of the digital SAT saw some students run out of time, unlike with the previous paper versions. All-digital test takers got a harder module of math questions in the second portion of the test if they did well in the universal first module that all test takers took.

It's too early to tell how scores compare with the paper version, but dramatic changes to the test in its digital version have made for jitters and excitement as results come in.

New adaptive math module, shorter test overall

The biggest change in the digital version was the adaptive second module in math, which was harder or easier depending on how well a student performed in the first math module. Other changes included a shorter test length overall, shorter reading passages in the English portion, and the built-in digital calculator in the testing app.

The adaptive math portion caused many students to worry. Did the harder module mean they could expect high scores? Or did it mean they messed up?

Also unexpected is the College Board's inclusion of school, district and state averages for the digital score. If you're a student viewing your score right now in New Jersey, the College Board provides averages of scores for comparison.

New Jersey's average score was 1171

New Jersey's average score was 1171 on the first digital SAT. The U.S. average score was 1166, and the average for all test takers, including international ones, was 1176. These numbers are taken from a score report delivered to a student who took the test on March 9. Scores from paper tests did not provide this at-a-glance comparison.

Disappointed with your scores? Definitely retake the test, said Bates, of UWorld. This is important because many top-tier colleges are reversing their positions on the SAT and asking students to submit scores in a new, test-flexible college application format, a shift from the post-pandemic trend of test-optional applications.

Students typically take the SAT twice or more so they can "superscore" their math and English results by adding up the best scores for each subject for college applications.

First all-digital SAT exam, tough math section puts students to the test: ‘Worst one yet’

The test results might not be in yet but the verdicts are.

The first sitting for the new all-digital SAT exam took place on Saturday and put students to the test, many parents have reported.

One Brooklyn student, who already took two tests the old-fashioned way — with pencil and paper — called Saturday’s college admissions exam “the worst one yet.”

Another change to the test is that it is “adaptive,” meaning the difficulty of questions will change depending on how students performed in prior sections.

“I suspect it was much tougher for kids who do well on it because it is now an adaptive exam,” noted Ben Morden, a Manhattan representative to the Citywide Council on High Schools.

For others, it could skip questions that are too difficult, which has been slammed as a “dumbing down” of the 98-year-old test. The College Board insists students given easier questions won’t be disadvantaged.

The math section was said to have been the toughest for many, over the reading and writing portions.

Another student called the reading and writing part “insane.”

“I practiced all the Bluebook tests and SAT Suite questions, but the real ones were more difficult,” she wrote in a Facebook page for digital test prep.

“I [didn’t] have enough time to check my answers and read all the questions.”

The exam is administered by the College Board, which says it has been designed to reduce stress. Other changes include a shorter test time — college hopefuls are given two hours and 14 minutes instead of three hours.

Students can now expect to get results in days instead of weeks.

The CCHS hopes to hold a public meeting with a College Board representative before the next test sitting for families to learn more about the new changes.