For SAT® Weekend, bring your admission ticket, acceptable physical photo ID, and a pen or pencil. The checklist below explains what to bring for SAT® exam day, including School Day differences and optional extras.
Required items are essential for testing; optional items are useful extras. For condition-dependent items, check the note to see what applies to you.
| Item | SAT® Weekend | SAT® School Day | Essential note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charged device with Bluebook™ ready | Required | Required; your school may provide it | Use a compatible device. For School Day, confirm whether to bring your own prepared device or collect one at school. |
| Admission ticket and sign-in information | Required | Required; supplied by your school | Weekend: bring your Bluebook™ admission ticket and know your College Board® username and password. School Day: use the school’s sign-in details. |
| Acceptable photo ID | Required | Condition-dependent | Bring the original physical document. For School Day, ID is required if you are homeschooled or testing at a school you do not normally attend. |
| Pen or pencil | Required | Required | Staff provide scratch paper. A No. 2 pencil is not required. |
| Personal calculator | Optional | Optional | Bluebook™ includes Desmos. Bring your own calculator only if it meets the current calculator policy. |
| Charging cable or portable charger | Optional | Condition-dependent | Outlet access is not guaranteed. For School Day, follow your school’s instructions about chargers. |
| Backup device and spare calculator batteries | Optional | Optional; follow school instructions | Keep backup equipment stored away and ask the proctor before accessing it. |
| Mouse and mouse pad | Optional | Optional; subject to school rules | Bring these if you prefer using a mouse with your testing device. |
| External keyboard | Optional | Condition-dependent | Allowed with tablets only. Required for SAT® School Day with Essay when using a tablet. |
| Basic watch | Optional | Optional | No smartwatches or audible alarms. Bluebook already shows the time remaining. |
| Backpack, water, and snacks | Optional | Optional | Keep food and drinks for the break and follow staff instructions about storing your bag. |
| Sweater or sweatshirt | Optional | Optional | An extra layer can help you stay comfortable in a cool testing room. |
| Medical items and accommodation-related equipment | Condition-dependent | Condition-dependent | Pack what your needs and applicable rules require. See Medical Needs and Accommodations below for permissions and exceptions. |
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What to Bring for the SAT: Check Requirements Before You Go
Admission Ticket and Photo ID
For SAT Weekend, sign in to Bluebook on the device you will use and complete exam setup. It becomes available five days before your test; if you are using your own device, finish by the day before the exam. Check the ticket’s personal details, test center, and arrival instructions. If your registration changes, repeat setup to generate an updated ticket. How to get your admission ticket.
A digital admission ticket is accepted; College Board prefers a printed copy. Your ID, however, must be an original physical document. College Board’s test-day requirements.
If you cannot access your ticket, reopen Bluebook and retrieve it, or contact SAT Customer Service through the admission-ticket help page. If you arrive without it, you may be able to complete setup if time permits, but staff will not hold your seat while you do so.
Check your ID’s expiration date and condition. Its English-language text must be legible, its full legal name must match your registration, and its photograph must match your appearance and registration photo.
- Commonly accepted: a driver’s license, state ID, passport, or eligible student ID from your current school.
- Not accepted: digital IDs, photocopies, temporary IDs, bank cards, birth certificates, or Social Security cards.
ID exceptions to check
Under 21 at a U.S. test center: An eligible student can use the SAT Student ID Form, prepared by their school or a notary if homeschooled. Follow its photo, signature, and seal instructions before test day.
Age 21 or older: A qualifying government-issued photo ID is required.
Previous school-year ID: Your current school’s prior-year card is accepted through December 31 of the current calendar year.
Testing abroad: Review the country-specific ID requirements.
For name corrections, contact Customer Service at least 30 days before testing. Without acceptable ID, you can be turned away; arrange an eligible alternative beforehand. Full ID requirements.
Device Setup, Borrowing, and Technical Problems
Check your device before test week:
- Confirm compatibility. Bluebook supports compatible Windows laptops and tablets, Mac laptops, iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks. Smartphones and personal Chromebooks cannot be used. Check the current device and operating-system requirements.
- Open Bluebook and try the test preview. Confirm you can sign in and use the testing tools. If a school-managed device blocks installation or setup, ask your school’s technology staff for help beforehand. For a full practice run, see how Bluebook’s adaptive practice tests work.
- Check battery life and connectivity. Your device needs to connect to the testing site’s Wi-Fi and hold a charge for 3–4 hours. Review official compatibility alerts before changing your operating system; College Board specifically cautions against certain Apple upgrades before testing. Device requirements and alerts.
If you need to borrow a device, first ask your school, family, or friends. For SAT Weekend, you can request one from College Board through My SAT after registering, at least 30 days before test day. An adult outside your family must verify eligibility, and submitting a request does not guarantee a device.
With an approved College Board loan, arrive 30 minutes before the standard check-in time. You will receive the device, sign in, complete setup, and obtain your admission ticket there. College Board device lending.
If your device fails during testing, raise your hand. The proctor or technology coordinator will help you troubleshoot and, if necessary, switch to a second device. If your answers fail to submit, follow staff instructions to reconnect and resubmit by the end of the following day. Your responses are saved on the device. Test-day technical procedures.
Calculator Rules
Check your exact model against the current calculator policy, including its prohibited features and models.
- No CAS: Calculators with built-in computer algebra system functionality are prohibited.
- Clear stored material: Remove documents and programs that solve equations or perform algebraic manipulation.
- Check power and sound: Use a working battery-powered handheld calculator with all sounds disabled. Calculator power cords are not permitted.
- Keep it for your own use: Sharing calculators is prohibited, and calculator use is limited to Math.
What to Bring for SAT: Medical Needs and Accommodations
Epinephrine auto-injectors, such as EpiPens, are allowed without an accommodation request. Place them in a transparent bag under your desk. For other medication or medical devices, contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) to confirm the applicable conditions before testing. Medical-item rules, contact SSD.
Test any approved screen reader or other assistive technology with Bluebook beforehand. Students using approved screen-reader or text-to-speech support need wired, non-Bluetooth headphones. Confirm your approved arrangements with your school’s SSD coordinator. Assistive-technology requirements.
For eligible SAT School Day students, English learner supports can include translated test directions, approved bilingual word-to-word dictionaries, and approved text-to-speech for Math. Coordinate these with your school. These English learner provisions apply to in-school assessments, not SAT Weekend. English learner supports.
What You Cannot Use During the SAT
College Board applies these restrictions to SAT Weekend and SAT School Day.
| Item | Rule | Exception or action |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | No use or access during testing or breaks. | At SAT Weekend check-in, you may show your admission ticket on your phone. Then hand it in or store it as staff direct. |
| Smartwatches, smart glasses, fitness trackers, cameras, and communication or recording devices | Prohibited. | Only specifically approved assistive technology is exempt. Otherwise, leave these items at home or follow staff collection instructions. |
| Headphones, earbuds, and earplugs | Prohibited unless covered by an approved exception. | See Medical Needs and Accommodations above. |
| Books, notes, dictionaries, personal paper, highlighters, compasses, and protractors | Prohibited; use only scratch paper supplied by staff. | For School Day, see the English learner exceptions above. |
| Styluses and electronic pens | Not permitted, including Apple Pencils and smart pens. | Use a regular pen or pencil for scratch work. |
| Removable privacy screens | Not permitted. | Remove the detachable filter before testing. |
| Separate timers and watches with alarms | Not permitted. | Use Bluebook’s timer or a permitted basic watch. |
Hats and hoods: Keep hoods down. Remove hats and head coverings unless worn for medical or religious reasons. For School Day, store removed hats under your desk.
Weapons and firearms are prohibited.
Using or attempting to access a prohibited device—or having it make noise—can lead to immediate dismissal and cancellation of your scores, including during a break. Follow staff storage instructions until you are dismissed. College Board’s device rules and consequences.
SAT Day: Arrival, Breaks, and Getting Home
For section lengths and question counts, see our SAT timing and question breakdown.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Night before | Confirm your route and transportation, set your alarm, and lay out comfortable clothes. Leave enough time for a full night’s sleep. |
| Before leaving | Eat your usual breakfast. Check Bluebook, your email, and the test center’s website for location changes or cancellations. Review what to bring on SAT day, then allow extra travel time for traffic and finding the entrance. |
| Check-in | SAT Weekend centers normally open at 7:45 a.m. and close their doors at 8 a.m.; follow any different arrival instructions on your ticket. For SAT School Day, follow your school’s schedule. If borrowing a College Board device, use the earlier arrival procedure described above. Arrival guidance. |
| Break | The standard 10-minute break comes between Reading and Writing and Math. Use the bathroom, drink water, or have your snack, and return on time. Leave your testing device open and keep your ID with you if one is required. An unscheduled break uses up testing time. |
| Dismissal | Wait for the proctor to collect scratch paper and dismiss you. Standard SAT Weekend testing typically ends around 10:45–11 a.m., but checkout or technical issues can delay departure. Extended time or a School Day Essay can mean a later finish. Agree on a pickup window and meeting place with whoever is collecting you. |
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