What is different about the digital SAT?

There are many changes, including: The Digital SAT is shorter than the paper SAT. The paper SAT used to take 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete, and the DSAT will take 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete. This means time management is even more critical than it was before. There are shorter reading passages and only one question per passage on the Digital SAT. On the paper SAT, there used to be multiple questions related to one long passage. The DSAT is adaptive. Depending on how you perform on the first Reading & Writing and Math modules, your second modules for each section may be easier or harder. Unlike the paper SAT, on the digital version, you will have access to a calculator for the entire math section. You can practice using the Desmos online graphing calculator here.

How does Acely compare to Khan Academy for test prep?

Khan Academy is an excellent free resource for learning and reviewing SAT concepts, and we encourage students to use it. However, Acely was built specifically for the digital SAT and is the best platform to use to achieve your goal score. While Khan is best for initial concept review, Acely provides: 9,000 targeted questions ideal for drilling weaknesses. 30 full-length practice tests (far more than the 7 official Bluebook tests) so you never run out of test-like practice. Personalized, AI-driven study plans that guarantee every minute of your prep counts. Use Khan Academy to learn, then use Acely for test-taking strategies to truly prepare you for test day.

What SAT score do I need for college admissions?

This varies depending on the school you’re applying to! This is a great resource to figure out what your target score should be based on a specific school. Don’t forget that you can retake the SAT and submit a superscore to many schools as well. Make sure to research the specific superscore policy for the colleges and universities you’re applying to.

Personalized digital SAT prep to boost your score

Follow Acely’s custom study plan and see real improvement by test day

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How to improve your SAT score with Acely

Custom SAT study plan

Image of a user with an SAT score of 1450

Accurate SAT score predictions

AI tutor with hints & explanations

Progress tracking and reports

Study plan that adapts in real time

Input your baseline score, goal score, and test date, and Acely will create a personalized study plan that dynamically adapts as you practice. The plans are self-paced, but include daily prioritized tasks so it’s easy to know where to focus.

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30 SAT practice tests that mirror the official digital SAT

There are only seven Bluebook digital SAT practice tests. By combining the Bluebook and Acely adaptive tests, students can do 1 test per week for 8 months, which is more than enough to show up on test day fully prepared.

Take a full-length SAT exam or one section
Practice the pacing and difficulty of module 1 and 2 on the adaptive exam
Includes Bluebook features like Answer Elimination, Highlighter, Bookmarks, Desmos, and more
In-depth score report with insights on pacing and accuracy

An image of a student on laptop with a sample SAT multiple choice questions over top.

Trustpilot

“Acely was very helpful, and I surprised myself and got a 1590!!”

“My favorite feature was having full-length practice tests that were slightly harder than the actual thing. This was great because not only did I not have to worry about running out of Collegeboard's 7 official tests, but also because it prepared me very well for the difficulty of the exam.”

Anthony, Acely SAT Student

9,000 SAT questions for consistent practice

All questions, answers, hints, and explanations are reviewed and verified by Acely’s Curriculum Team for accuracy, difficulty, and structure. The question bank is consistently updated to ensure students study fully aligned material.

Acely's SAT question bank has three times as many questions as the College Board, so students will never run out of study material. Additionally, the question bank is organized by category and subcategory, so it's easy to practice a single section and track your accuracy within that section.

Progress dashboards that keep students motivated

Ditch the old prep books that offer zero feedback. Acely’s dashboard is built for the new digital SAT. It instantly analyzes your performance, providing the specific, actionable insights you need to see real progress and stay engaged.

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Deciding between the SAT and the ACT

The SAT and the ACT have many similarities and differences, so how do you choose which one is the best fit? It depends a lot on your goals, academic strengths, and sometimes, even geographic location. Many schools may offer one as a school-test day, but not the other.

If you prefer paper tests, only the ACT still has a paper format. Read our article below to learn more. With Acely, you'll get access to both tests, and you can take a short diagnostic in each to see which one you should focus on.

Compare the SAT and ACT

1360 1520

“Thanks to Acely, I was able to get a 1520 on my September SAT and could apply to my dream colleges.”

Panshul, Acely SAT Student

Desmos on the digital SAT

There is a built in calculator for the entire SAT Math section, but often, students don't take the time to learn all of the functionalities. See all the reasons below why Desmos can be a game changer.

Learn More About Desmos

Algebra

Desmos instantly graphs linear equations, inequalities, and quadratics to find intersection points, shaded regions, roots, and vertices.

Geometry

Desmos is great for coordinate geometry: Plot points, draw lines, and graph the equation of a circle to easily find its center or radius.

Trigonometry

Graph trig functions or solve trig equations by finding their intersections.

Data Analysis

To make sense of statistics, input data into a table to create scatter plots or instantly find lines of best fit (regression) by clicking the "Add Regression" button.

Accuracy

Check your work and reduce human error in arithmetic and graphing.

Speed and Efficiency

Complex calculations, graphing, and even the ability to solve systems of equations can be done in seconds.

Preparing for an adaptive test-taking experience

Before test day, it's essential to not only understand how the adaptive exam works, but to get practice with it. Acely was built for the digital SAT, so the format mirrors the official Bluebook exam.

Learn More About Adaptive Testing

Understanding the structure and pacing of the digital SAT

The digital SAT is about an hour shorter than the old paper version, so time management and pacing are essential. Acely's practice test insights provide an in-depth pacing analysis so students can see which questions they should solve faster.

Desmos can also be an asset in solving math questions more quickly, and these tutorials can help students learn Desmos solutions.

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FAQs

Get more insights on the digital SAT, goal scores, and more.

There are many changes, including:

The Digital SAT is shorter than the paper SAT. The paper SAT used to take 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete, and the DSAT will take 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete. This means time management is even more critical than it was before.
There are shorter reading passages and only one question per passage on the Digital SAT. On the paper SAT, there used to be multiple questions related to one long passage.
The DSAT is adaptive. Depending on how you perform on the first Reading & Writing and Math modules, your second modules for each section may be easier or harder.
Unlike the paper SAT, on the digital version, you will have access to a calculator for the entire math section. You can practice using the Desmos online graphing calculator here.

Khan Academy is an excellent free resource for learning and reviewing SAT concepts, and we encourage students to use it. However, Acely was built specifically for the digital SAT and is the best platform to use to achieve your goal score. While Khan is best for initial concept review, Acely provides:

9,000 targeted questions ideal for drilling weaknesses.
30 full-length practice tests (far more than the 7 official Bluebook tests) so you never run out of test-like practice.
Personalized, AI-driven study plans that guarantee every minute of your prep counts.

Use Khan Academy to learn, then use Acely for test-taking strategies to truly prepare you for test day.

This all depends on your baseline score, your target score, and your test date.

To see the most improvement, we recommend studying for at least 3 months for at least 10 hours per week. This can help students boost their score by ~100 points.

With 20 hours of studying per week for 3 months, students can boost their score by more than 150 points. Again, this greatly depends on their starting score.

For best results, we recommend following Acely’s Study Plan that dynamically updates as you take Acely mock exams and work through problems in practice mode.

Yes! Acely includes PSAT support so students can prepare for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in their junior year of high school. Students can watch their PSAT practice test scores improve as they study with Acely so that by October of their junior year, they’re ready to unlock scholarship opportunities. Read more on Acely’s PSAT prep page to learn why the PSAT/NMSQT is an important exam to prepare for.