Short answer: the SAT itself hasn’t changed. It is still two sections, four modules, 98 questions and 2 hours 14 minutes. What changed for 2026-27 are the tools and the logistics: you can now resize the Desmos calculator, the reference sheet has a new layout, Bluebook needs Windows 11, and full test centers now have a waitlist.
Based on College Board’s official “Changes for 2026-27 Testing” page, checked November 10, 2026. All changes apply from fall 2026.
Changes that affect Math directly
You can resize the built-in calculator
The embedded Desmos graphing calculator can now be made bigger. That helps when you graph two curves to find where they intersect, or when you zoom in to read a vertex. Practice with the larger window in Bluebook before test day so it doesn’t slow you down.
The reference sheet has a new layout
The formula reference sheet and images in questions now support zoom and pan. The formulas are the same, but they’re laid out differently, so open the reference sheet at least once during a Bluebook practice test so you know where everything is.
Changes to devices and the Bluebook app
- Windows 11 is required. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10, so Bluebook no longer runs on it. If your laptop runs Windows 10, upgrade it or borrow a device.
- Chromebooks need verified mode. Bluebook works on a Chromebook only if the school or owner has enabled verified mode. School Chromebooks usually have it; personal ones often don’t.
- Borrowing a device takes time. If you need a College Board device, request it at least 30 days before test day.
- New practice tests for the PSAT. Bluebook added full-length practice tests for the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9.
Changes to registration and test day
- Test center waitlist (U.S. only). If your preferred date or center is full, you can join a free waitlist and get placed automatically if a seat opens nearby.
- Clearer timing on test day. Test center staff now see the actual start time and estimated end time for each student.
- Accommodations. Students approved for embedded text-to-speech take the weekend SAT at a test center. Students using text-to-speech or a screen reader must bring their own wired headphones (no Bluetooth).
What did not change
- Format: Reading and Writing (54 questions, 64 minutes), then Math (44 questions, 70 minutes), with a 10-minute break.
- Adaptive modules: how you do on the first module still decides whether the second module is harder or easier.
- Scoring: 200 to 800 per section, 400 to 1600 total.
- Calculator on every Math question, plus the reference sheet.
- Fees: $68 to register in the U.S., $38 extra for late registration.
About the rumors
You might read online that the 2026 tests are “Desmos-proof” or that Module 2 is suddenly much harder. College Board hasn’t announced any change to question content. What is true is that the hardest questions reward knowing when Desmos helps and when doing the algebra by hand is faster. Our Desmos guide covers both.
Your test-day checklist
- Update your device to Windows 11 (or confirm verified mode on a Chromebook).
- Install Bluebook and run the exam setup before the deadline it gives you.
- Take at least one full practice test in Bluebook with the resizable calculator and new reference sheet.
- Check your date and deadlines on our SAT test dates page.
Next step
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