Can I Use Old SAT Practice Tests for the New Digital SAT?

Got a stack of old SAT prep books from an older sibling or free practice tests online? But you wonder… Are they still useful? Can I use the old SAT questions to practice the new Digital SAT?

The quick answer is yes, BUT with a big catch. And here in this post we will break everything down for you, so you’ll have a clear picture of what to use and what to skip.

The Big Shift: No Grinding Anymore

The Paper SAT was a test of endurance and content knowledge. It featured long passages and distinct Math sections (No-Calculator and Calculator) designed to test your focus over nearly three hours.

The Digital SAT is a test of efficiency and applied skills. It’s shorter, adaptive (your performance on the first module affects the difficulty of the second), and integrated. It measures your skills quickly and accurately.

This has a major implication: for Reading and Writing, you’re dealing with single paragraphs, not articles anymore.

Reading and Writing: Some Are Still Legit

Reading: skip except for Words in Context

The old SAT reading passages were long articles that aimed at testing students’ skimming and scanning skills. In the Digital SAT, they are simply not the objective anymore. Whether it’s main ideas, details, main purpose, or function of text, the long passages and question sets do not fit into the framework of the Digital SAT. Each question on the Digital SAT has a clear goal and can be worked out without fussing over a long passage. The result is that most habits built on the old reading are not useful for the one-paragraph questions on the new Digital SAT.

TL;DR: Don't waste time on the old SAT Reading questions. The formats are way too different. 

One thing to bear in mind, though, is that Words in Context questions can still be a strong and free resources for you to sharpen your vocabulary skills. The old question looks something like this:

As used in line 35, ‘keen’ most nearly means…

The goal is very similar here: you read the paragraph where the word appears and determine it’s meaning based on the context of the paragraph alone. In that case, you’re still reading just ONE paragraph, just like you do in the Digital SAT.

But here’s a catch. The vocab questions on the new Digital SAT contain choices of ADVANCED words, which is usually not the case in the old SAT. This requires you to have an extensive vocabulary so you can pick the correct choice. In other words, context is now partially the goal; your vocabulary size plays a much bigger role now.

TL;DR: Use Words in Context questions to practice reading for context. To supplement, expand your vocabulary size.

Writing: Grammar and Transitions are free goldmines

Grammar questions

Big YES for grammar questions—because the rules of English grammar has not evolved. A comma splice was wrong in 2018, and it’s still wrong on the Digital SAT today. This means that every grammar question from an old SAT is a high-quality, ready-to-use practice problem for the Digital SAT. You have access to a massive, free library of questions to drill the most important rules.

Your Strategy: Focus your drills on these high-frequency topics from old tests:

• Punctuation: Master the usage of commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes. These are tested relentlessly.
• Sentence Structure: Learn to spot and fix sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
• Parallelism: Ensure that items in a list or comparison have the same grammatical form.
• Subject-Verb Agreement: Make sure your subjects and verbs match, especially when they are separated by long clauses.
• Pronoun Usage: Check for clear antecedents (who/what the pronoun is referring to) and correct case (e.g., I vs. me).
• Modifiers: Ensure descriptive phrases are placed next to the thing they are describing to avoid “dangling modifiers.”

What you have to watch out for is that these topics are now under the category names of Boundaries and Form, Structure, and Sense. The essence, despite the new names, are the same. So if grammar, or Standard English Conventions, is your weakness, definitely get your hands on these old questions to practice as hard as you can.

TL;DR: The old grammar questions are free and almost identical to the new Digital SAT Standard English Conventions questions.

Transitions questions

Another big YES for Transitions questions. The format stays the same, with choices of  transition word or phrase (e.g., However, Therefore, In addition, For instance) for you to determine which bridges the previous and following text logically.

Here’s a slight catch (promise not a big deal). Since the old SAT present questions in sets and can include multiple questions in a paragraph, the experience might be a bit different in the following ways:

• The context for the transitions question may be part of neighboring questions, and can affect your understand. How to work around: Skip it if you this can be a distraction or can possibly affect the meaning of the context.
• The paragraphs where transitions questions are embedded can be longer than the ones on the new Digital SAT. How to work around: Read only a couple sentences before and after where the blank for the transitions question is.

Remember your goal is still to understand how following chunks of text is related to the previous. The format is slightly different, but the skills you’re training stay the same.

TL;DR: The old transitions questions are great free resources. The format can be a tad different, but it's not a deal breaker.

Math: The Core Content Remains

The Math section is where old materials are most valuable. The math concepts being tested are largely the same, but the structure and tools have changed dramatically.

What’s Highly Useful:

1. Core Content Areas: The math itself hasn’t changed. Old tests are a fantastic source of practice problems for:
   • Algebra: Linear equations, systems of equations, inequalities, functions.
   • Advanced Math: Quadratics, exponents, polynomials.
   • Problem-Solving & Data Analysis: Ratios, percentages, probability, and interpreting charts/graphs.
   • Geometry & Trigonometry: Area, volume, circles, triangles, and SOHCAHTOA.
   • How to Use: Use old tests as a “problem bank.” If you’re weak in quadratics, go do every quadratic problem from 5 old tests. Ignore the “No-Calculator” constraint.
2. Grid-In Questions (Student-Produced Response):
   • Comparison: The format is identical. You still need to solve a problem and enter your numerical answer. This is a crucial skill to practice.

What Requires Adaptation (or is Less Useful):

• The No-Calculator Section: The constraint of having no calculator is gone. While practicing these problems can improve your mental math, it’s not a realistic simulation.
  • How to Adapt: Go back to old “No-Calculator” sections and solve the problems using the Desmos calculator. This will teach you a critical new skill: identifying which problems are faster to solve with Desmos.
• Pacing Strategy: Practicing under the old time constraints (25 min for 20 questions, 55 min for 38 questions) is not helpful. You need to practice with the new adaptive model using the official Bluebook™ app. We recommend that you use the question to drill, not to practice test-taking.

TL;DR: Old SAT math questions are really worth it. Ignore No-Calculator (Use Desmos), and don't practice like taking a test. Use it only to drill your skills.

The Final Verdict:

Old SAT questions are a valuable supplement to your SAT prep, but they can never be the foundation. Their primary strength lies in the timelessness of the Math and Grammar content. Use them for targeted drills and as supplements for unique challenges of the Digital SAT.

---