Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Free SAT Practice Test with Answers and Explanations (PDF)

We’re so excited to give you access to this full-length printable SAT practice test. This practice test was put together by SAT prep expert Chris Lele, Magoosh’s Principal Curriculum Manager. He and our experts have spent days crafting the 154 questions you’ll find inside, which we then thoroughly student- and tutor-tested until the data told us that the test was more than up to snuff. Sign up below to access the free practice test PDF!

 
So what will you see in the PDF?

Magoosh SAT Practice Test PDF cover

Well, 154 questions, to start. But beyond that, the test has…

  • SAT Reading Test (65 Minutes, 52 Questions)
  • SAT Writing and Language Test (35 Minutes, 44 Questions)
  • SAT Math Section – No Calculator Test (25 Minutes, 20 Questions)
  • SAT Math Section – Calculator Test (55 Minutes, 38 Questions)
  • An answer key
  • Information on grading your test
  • Links to text and video explanations for every single question on ech section of the test

Where to Find Full-Length SAT Practice Tests (Even Official Ones)

SAT Practice Test - image by Magoosh

There are a few great places to look for full-length SAT practice tests! Here are our top recommendations:

  • Khan Academy: Khan Academy has paired up with the College Board (they’re the test creators) to offer free online practice SAT tests. There are four full exams on the Khan Academy site, which can also be found on the College Board site. After you’ve taken an exam or two, you can then sharpen your skills with practice in different areas with resources on Khan Academy’s site and elsewhere.
  • Prep books: But beware! While prep books can be great for lessons, they tend to be better for learning than for full-length practice tests. Yes, the College Board’s book is awesome, but guess what? Those eight tests are the same eight tests you can find on their website, just printed and bound (they’re transparent about this). There are a few great books out there and a few to avoid—you can check them out in Magoosh’s post on the best SAT books and our review of the Princeton Review’s practice tests!.
  • Magoosh Prep: you can choose between a live cohorted class with an instructor (which includes all our lessons and practice questions) or access to the self-study option by itself.

Why do I need to take a full-length practice test?

To maximize your score on the SAT, you’ll need three things:

Improve your SAT score; start your Magoosh SAT prep today
  • Lessons
  • Practice questions
  • Practice tests

And despite what a lot of students believe, those last two aren’t interchangeable! Lessons are super valuable for reviewing content that you might not have seen for a while—or ever. Practice questions are great for making sure you’ve mastered (and continue to remember) the lesson content.

Learn it, practice it…why the third step? Well, first of all, the official SAT won’t have an “algebra” problem set or a “geometry” problem set. It’ll have all kinds of question types mixed together within the three sections. That means that studying different content areas is a very different experience from test day, when you’ll be in front of the exam for at least three hours (more if you’re taking the essay). So you need to get ready with multiple practice tests!

How to Take an SAT Practice Test

Ready to mimic the official experience? Fantastic! All students can benefit from taking an SAT practice test–unless your test is the next morning, in which case, get your rest! For the rest of you, here’s what to do:

  1. Set aside approximately four hours of uninterrupted time to take the practice test.
  2. Take the test in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.
  3. Mimic test day conditions by turning off your phone and leaving it in another room.
  4. Take the test in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.
  5. Try to take the entire practice test in one sitting.
  6. Eat a healthy, energizing snack before taking the practice test.
  7. Give yourself a brief, 10-minute break after the Reading test.
  8. Give yourself a brief, five-minute break after the Math (No Calculator) test.
  9. Use a countdown timer and remember to reset it for each test.

Lucky for you, you don’t have to remember half of these steps if you follow our simulated SAT practice test below, proctored by Magoosh curriculum manager Kat.

All you’d need to do is print your test, find a quiet place, set aside a few hours, and press play to simulate a test-day experience in the comfort of your own home!

What to Do After Practice Tests

After the test, it is critical that you check your answers and make note of any questions you missed. In fact, it’s a good idea to spend at least as much time examining your results as you did taking the test. Why? Well, did you get a question right because you knew the answer, or because you were guessing? Did you get a question wrong because you filled in the wrong bubble? (Practice tests help a lot with this latter problem, by the way!)

Make sure to check the explanations for every question you get wrong, so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes on test day. After you’ve examined your results, do some practice in your weak areas.

Signing up for Magoosh SAT Prep is a great way to learn or relearn concepts you need help with and get access to additional practice problems.

After working on your weak areas and brushing up on your strong areas, take another test and do the same process all over again! In the next section, we highlight some resources that will help you structure your SAT prep after taking your first practice test.

Free Practice Materials

While free practice resources for the SAT may not be as easy to find once you’ve finished the work available here and on the College Board site, don’t worry! There are plenty of other online resources–both free and low-cost (including this blog!)–that will allow you to target your weaker areas and keep your strong areas strong.

A Final Word

You’ve made it this far. Congratulations! The SAT can have many implications for the college admissions process, which can intimidate students. Getting this far shows commitment—the same kind of commitment you need to master the SAT.

So what are you waiting for? Dig out those #2 pencils, find yourself a quiet corner, and get on it! It’s time to start boosting your test score.

Authors

  • Rachel Kapelke-Dale

    Rachel is a Magoosh Content Creator. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

  • Chris Lele

    Chris Lele is the Principal Curriculum Manager (and vocabulary wizard) at Magoosh. Chris graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and has 20 years of experience in the test prep industry. He’s been quoted as a subject expert in many publications, including US News, GMAC, and Business Because. In his time at Magoosh, Chris has taught countless students how to tackle the GRE, GMAT, SAT, ACT, MCAT (CARS), and LSAT exams with confidence. Some of his students have even gone on to get near-perfect scores. You can find Chris on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook!

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