Laura Whitmore from Strategic Test Prep recently attended the National Test Prep Association (NTPA) conference in Minnesota, where a Vice President from the College Board shared some major insights about the SAT. If you're a student, parent, or tutor preparing for the digital SAT, these updates matter.

Here’s a summary of what we learned from Laura's report:

1. Thousands of New SAT Questions Are Coming

The College Board plans to release "thousands" of new official practice questions this year in the student question database. These will reflect the current digital SAT format more accurately. Laura said she asked if these questions could be tagged or filtered in their online system so educators and students can easily find the most up-to-date questions. No promise yet, but she made the need clear and College Board said it was a good idea, so perhaps in the student question database there will be a filter to find the latest questions.

2. New Full-Length Practice Tests in Bluebook

More full-length practice tests are coming to the Bluebook app, probably by the end of the 2025. Currently, students have access to only a limited number of official digital tests (7 of them, Practice Tests 4 thru 7), so this expansion will be a big help. If you're prepping for fall or spring test dates, more practice means more opportunities to build confidence and timing.

3. Practice Tests 7–10 Are More Aligned with the Real Test

Some NTPA attendees pointed out that the earlier Bluebook practice tests (4–6) don’t feel as difficult as the actual SAT. I think this is very likely true especially in math, where College Board has made it a bit more challenging to use Desmos, the graphing calculator embedded in the Bluebook app, to solve questions. The College Board responded by saying that Practice Tests 7–10 were designed to better reflect the actual level of difficulty students will see on test day. This is why I always recommend students to first utilize Practice Tests 7 thru 10 in their prep.

4. No QAS Coming for the Digital SAT

The Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) won’t be coming back for the digital SAT. In the paper days, students could pay to see the actual questions they missed. College Board says it is because the digital test is adaptive making it too complex to release questions and because they don't want students to have an unfair advantage if they pay for the QAS. This tells us that in reality they are likely recycling questions from test to test which is why QAS will not be returning.

5. Better Score Reports Are Coming

The current score reports offer only four broad skill categories and don’t provide the detail students and tutors need to plan their next steps. The College Board says they’re investing heavily in more detailed, actionable score reports to help guide targeted prep. This is long overdue. As a test prep coach, I find the reports not helpful or providing any actionable information for most students, and thus we have to rely on the results of Practice Tests to recalibrate our focus as we progress toward test day for a student.

6. The SAT Question of the Day Is Back

The College Board has brought back the SAT Question of the Day! Visit qotd.collegeboard.org to answer a new math and English question each day. You can even opt in to get daily reminders by email. It’s a fun and low-pressure way to stay sharp and see the types of questions being emphasized.

7. More Practice Tests = Higher Scores

The College Board has been tracking performance data for digital SAT testers, and the results are clear. Students who complete three or more full-length Bluebook practice tests tend to see statistically significant score increases. This shouldn’t surprise any parent or test prep coach, but it’s good to have data backing it up. As of now, there are seven tests in Bluebook, with more coming later this year. Students should plan on taking Bluebook Practice Tests before their test, no doubt about it!

Final Thoughts from Mr. Rich This year is shaping up to be an important transition point for SAT prep. I continue to recommend to parents that all other things being equal the SAT is the better option over the ACT, especially if your student is taking AP math classes. Between new questions, improved score reports, and better-aligned practice tests, students have more tools than ever, if they know where to focus. Stick with Bluebook. Prioritize Practice Tests 7–10. And keep an eye on the official updates as new materials roll out. Thanks to Laura Whitmore for sharing her insights from the NTPA meeting this year!

Mr. Rich is a University of Florida graduate in engineering and former high school math teacher and engineer who now coaches students full-time in all levels of high school math, including Algebra 2, AP Precalculus, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics. He specializes in ACT and SAT math prep, helping students build both skill and confidence for classroom success and college admissions. He is owner and founder of T3R Tutoring, LLC, and can be reached at tom@t3rtutoring.org.