Testing at Home: The SAT

It might sound a bit cumbersome to run a practice exam at home, but at Victory Step Education, we’ve helped countless parents administer at-home tests in a seamless manner. Below we’ll help you assemble your supplies and timeline so that you can run an at-home practice exam with ease! If you are taking the exam for the first time, we prefer you take the 1st exam in the official CollegeBoard SAT Book. You may also print that here.

1. Print the following Scantron. Once completed, scan it and email it back to us at sessions@victorysteponline.com. Your exam will be graded within 2-3 business days.
2. Basic Supplies
   • Your child should have access to everything they will need on their actual testing day to make sure they stay on schedule. This includes: two pencils, a calculator, and any water bottles/snacks they may want to consume over their break. Additionally, they should have their answer sheet detached and ready to fill out before they begin the exam.
   • Whether it is you or your student taking track of time, you will need to be able to keep track of time throughout the practice exam. Thus, make sure you have a stopwatch or a digital equivalent (such as cell phone alarms) so you can set a timer for each section.
3. Environment
   • Now that you have your supplies, you want to find a quiet area for the student to take their exam. They will need to have no entertainment available to distract them, and have everything they need throughout the exam within reach.
4. Procedure
   • Finally, before you go ahead and get started, there are a few more details about procedure that shall be addressed. If the student finished a section before the time is up, they mustn’t proceed to the next section. It’s very important to stick to the same schedule used for the official SAT proctors because practice tests are an important way for students to master their time-management skills before the official exam. For this reason, it is also important for the student to adhere to the short breaks built into the schedule. During these breaks they should limit themselves to stretching in their seat, drinking water, or meditating silently.
   • Additionally, please note that the math section is broken into two distinct portions. Make it a point to only allow use of the student’s calculator during the section marked “Math (Calculator Permitted)”.
5. Timetable
   • Since you have your supplies, environment, and procedure covered, all you need is the timetable to get started! Go ahead and use the guidelines below set your watch by.
     • Reading: 65 minutes
     • 5 minute break
     • Language: 35 minutes
     • Math (No Calculator): 25 minutes
     • 5 minute break
     • Math (Calculator Permitted): 55 minutes
     • 5 minute break
     • Essay: 50 minutes

(By the way, if you’re looking for ACT instructions, follow this link to find our post with the corresponding timetable.)