Free Digital SAT Practice Tests & Sample Questions

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Free Practice Questions with Video Explanations

Below are practice questions with video explanations for the Digital SAT. The sample questions have video explanations to learn from your mistakes and help you increase your score. If you need more help, preparing we have many SAT prep options at Caddell Prep.

Digital SAT Reading & Writing Practice Questions

Sentence Completions

Sentence completion questions are reading questions test students’ vocabulary and reasoning. The question consists of a paragraph with a blank, normally representing one missing word. Students need to get context clues from the paragraph to determine which answer choice best fits in the blank. These are typically the first questions on each of the Reading & Writing Modules.

Example:

The scientist did not dispute that the preliminary results were encouraging. However, because the experiment had been conducted under unusually controlled conditions and involved only a small sample size, she warned that the findings might not be easily ______ in more complex real-world environments.

A) replicated
B) questioned
C) illustrated
D) implemented

Answer: A) replicated

Explanation:
The contextual clues are “unusually controlled conditions” and “small sample size,” both of which suggest concern about whether the same results could be reproduced elsewhere. “Replicated” is therefore the most precise answer.

B) questioned is tempting because the scientist is cautious, but the issue is specifically whether the results can be repeated.
C) illustrated does not fit the context logically.
D) implemented concerns putting something into practice, not reproducing experimental findings.

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Punctuation

Punctuation questions are writing questions that test students’ understanding of commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, and apostrophes. Students must have a firm grasp on independent clauses and be able to identify them.

Example:

The architect designed the building to maximize natural light, reduce energy use, and create flexible public spaces ____ the project still faced criticism from residents concerned about increased traffic.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A) , a goal that appealed to city officials,
B) — a goal that appealed to city officials —
C) ; a goal that appealed to city officials,
D) . A goal that appealed to city officials,

Answer: D

Explanation:
The phrase “a goal that appealed to city officials” may look like an appositive describing the previous clause, but the text that follows—“the project still faced criticism…”—is a new independent clause. A comma or dash pair would incorrectly create a run-on. A period correctly ends the first sentence, and the following phrase introduces the next sentence.

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Summary Notes

Summary notes questions typically appear at the end of each of the Reading & Writing modules. For these questions, five bullet points are provided. They are supposed to be notes that a student took. The question asks the test-taker to choose the option that best accomplishes a certain goal such as introducing an idea or emphasizing a point.

Example:

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

The philosopher Byung-Chul Han has written about modern digital culture.
Han argues that constant self-promotion and performance create psychological pressure.
He believes modern societies encourage people to exploit themselves in pursuit of productivity.
Han contrasts this with earlier systems based more heavily on external control.

The student wants to explain how Han believes modern society creates pressure on individuals. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?

A) Han argues that digital culture encourages constant productivity, self-promotion, and personal performance.
B) Han believes modern societies create pressure by encouraging individuals to push themselves constantly rather than relying mainly on external control.
C) Han contrasts modern digital society with earlier systems that depended more heavily on outside forms of authority and control.
D) Han examines psychological pressure in societies shaped by productivity, digital culture, and expectations of self-management.

Answer: B

Explanation:
A is highly tempting because it accurately lists important features of Han’s argument, but it does not fully explain the mechanism creating pressure. C focuses mainly on comparison with older systems. D is broad and descriptive rather than explanatory. B most directly explains Han’s central idea that pressure now comes from internalized self-exploitation rather than external control.

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Transitions

Transition questions are writing questions that typically ask the test-taker to choose the best transition to connect two sentences. Sometimes the question asks for the best transition word in an aside.

Example:

Octopuses are known for their intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Researchers have observed them opening jars, navigating mazes, and even using objects in their environments as tools. ______, some species gather coconut shells and assemble them into shelters for protection.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A) In contrast,
B) For example,
C) Nevertheless,
D) As a result,

Answer: B) For example

Explanation:
The final sentence provides a specific illustration of octopuses using tools and demonstrating intelligence. “For example” correctly introduces that evidence. “In contrast” and “Nevertheless” suggest opposition, while “As a result” incorrectly indicates cause and effect.

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Verb-Tense

Verb-tense questions are writing questions that ask students to choose the best form of a verb to fill into a blank. The question tests subject-verb agreement and also students understanding of the five forms of a verb.

Example:

In her analysis of political satire, literary scholar Naomi Fischer ______ that humor often serves as a means of criticizing social institutions without directly confronting them. Her interpretation has influenced numerous later studies of satire and rhetoric.

A) argued
B) argues
C) had argued
D) arguing

Answer: B) argues

Explanation:

The sentence discusses Fischer’s analysis as an interpretation that remains relevant in the present, so the SAT convention is to use the simple present tense when describing literary or scholarly analysis. Therefore, “argues” is correct.

A) argued → incorrect because the passage focuses on an ongoing interpretation rather than a completed historical action.
C) had argued → incorrect because there is no later past event requiring the past perfect tense.
D) arguing → incorrect because it is a participle, not a complete main verb.

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Function & Purpose

Function & Purpose questions are reading questions that ask the test-taker what the function or purpose of a certain line in a paragraph serves. In other words, why did the author include that sentence? Sometimes it is to provide an example or to refute a common argument. Some function & purpose questions may ask what the purpose of the entire provided text is. In other words, why did the author write this text?

Example:

The following text is adapted from W. E. B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk (1903).

Du Bois argued that education should do more than prepare individuals for employment. In his view, true education cultivated judgment, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of society. Without those qualities, technical training alone could produce skilled workers but not fully informed citizens.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A) It provides an example illustrating the economic value of education.
B) It presents a qualification that limits the importance of technical training.
C) It introduces a criticism of workers who lack formal schooling.
D) It explains why Du Bois believed employment opportunities were unimportant.

Answer: B

Explanation: The passage argues that education should develop intellectual and civic qualities in addition to job skills. The underlined sentence qualifies the value of technical training by suggesting that, on its own, it is insufficient. Choice A is incorrect because the sentence does not focus on economic value. Choice C misrepresents the tone of the passage, and choice D is too extreme because the text never suggests employment is unimportant.

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Supporting & Undermining

Supporting & undermining questions are reading questions that ask test-takers to identify which answer choice would best support or undermine the claim presented in the provided text. Test-takers are required to understand the claim presented in a text and what the claim is based on in order to answer the question correctly.

Example:

Environmental scientist Priya Desai is studying a species of wetland plant that has spread rapidly throughout several marshes over the past decade. Desai observes that the plant grows especially densely in areas where water levels fluctuate frequently throughout the year. She hypothesizes that changing water levels help the species spread because many competing plants are less able to survive repeated flooding and drying cycles.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Desai’s hypothesis?

A) Some wetlands containing the plant also experience unusually high nutrient levels in the soil.
B) Areas with the largest fluctuations in water levels tend to contain fewer competing plant species and the highest concentrations of the spreading plant.
C) Seeds of the plant can be carried long distances by birds migrating between wetlands across different regions each year.
D) Researchers studying wetland ecosystems have suggested that plant distribution patterns may be influenced by complex interactions involving soil chemistry, seasonal rainfall, insect populations, water temperature, erosion rates, and long-term environmental change.

Answer: B

Explanation: If areas with fluctuating water levels contain fewer competing plants and more of the spreading species, that directly supports the hypothesis that changing water conditions reduce competition and allow the plant to spread rapidly.

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Graphs & Charts

Graphs & charts questions are reading questions that ask students to answer a question based on the text provided and the the included data.

Text Completions

Text completions are reading questions that ask a test-taker to determine what the ending sentence or clause should be based on the previous text. These questions are typically the last reading questions in a module before the writing questions begin.

Example:

In studies of workplace creativity, researchers have found that employees working under moderate time constraints often generate ideas more efficiently than those given unlimited time, possibly because deadlines encourage focus and reduce overanalysis. However, when deadlines become excessively tight, the quality and originality of ideas frequently decline as employees prioritize speed over experimentation. By contrast, projects with no deadlines at all sometimes experience delays and reduced productivity. Taken together, these findings suggest that ______.

A. removing deadlines entirely is the most effective way to encourage both creativity and productivity in workplace settings
B. highly restrictive deadlines consistently improve creative performance because they force employees to focus on efficiency
C. creativity and productivity may both benefit from moderate time constraints, while excessive or nonexistent deadlines can create different disadvantages
D. the originality of ideas depends primarily on the amount of time available rather than on how individuals respond to deadlines

Answer: C

Explanation:
This requires synthesizing three outcomes:

Moderate deadlines → improved focus and efficiency
Excessively tight deadlines → reduced quality and originality
No deadlines → delays and reduced productivity

Choice C captures the balanced conclusion: both extremes create problems, while moderate constraints can be beneficial.
A and B each take one extreme position, and D oversimplifies the relationship described in the passage.

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Fact or Detail

Fact or detail questions are reading questions that are straightforward and ask for a specific piece of information stated in the text.

Example:

In the early twentieth century, chemist Irène Joliot-Curie and physicist Frédéric Joliot-Curie bombarded aluminum with alpha particles and observed that the aluminum continued to give off radiation even after the alpha-particle source had been removed. They determined that the experiment had produced a radioactive form of phosphorus, an element that did not naturally occur in that form. Their work showed that radioactive atoms could be created artificially in the laboratory.

According to the text, what did the Joliot-Curies’ experiment demonstrate?

A) Aluminum could continue emitting radiation after exposure to alpha particles because a new radioactive substance had been produced.
B) Alpha particles stopped aluminum from producing any radiation once the original source was removed.
C) Radioactive phosphorus occurred naturally in aluminum samples before the experiment began.
D) Aluminum became radioactive only because it absorbed radiation from phosphorus already present in the laboratory.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Choice A is correct because the passage states that after the alpha-particle source was removed, the aluminum still gave off radiation, and the researchers determined that a radioactive form of phosphorus had been created. Choice B reverses the result: the aluminum continued to emit radiation. Choice C is tempting because phosphorus is mentioned, but the passage says the radioactive form was produced by the experiment, not naturally present. Choice D uses details about aluminum, radiation, and phosphorus but incorrectly suggests that the phosphorus already existed in the laboratory rather than being created during the experiment.

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Main Idea & Structure

Main idea & structure questions are reading questions that either ask for the main idea of the text or the structure of the text.

Example:

For many years, researchers studying ancient pottery focused mainly on the shapes and painted designs of finished vessels, using those features to classify objects by region or time period. More recently, scientists have analyzed tiny traces of food and oil that remain inside some pots even after centuries underground. These residues can reveal what people cooked, stored, or transported, offering clues about diet, trade, and household routines. As a result, pottery is now understood not only as an artistic or chronological marker but also as evidence of everyday life.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Ancient pottery is more useful for studying trade than for identifying the time period in which an object was made.
B) Scientists have discovered that painted designs on ancient pottery were usually meant to show what foods the vessels contained.
C) By analyzing residues inside ancient pottery, researchers have expanded their understanding of how pottery reflected daily activities.
D) Ancient pots that contain food or oil residues are generally better preserved than pots studied for their shapes and painted designs.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:
Choice C best summarizes the passage. The text explains that researchers once focused mainly on pottery’s shape and decoration, but newer analysis of residues inside pots has helped scholars learn about cooking, storage, trade, and daily life.

Choice A is too narrow and makes an unsupported comparison. The passage mentions trade as one thing pottery residues can reveal, but it does not say pottery is more useful for studying trade than for dating objects.

Choice B uses details from the passage—painted designs and food—but incorrectly connects them. The passage says food residues, not painted designs, can reveal what vessels contained.

Choice D is unsupported. The passage does not compare how well different types of pottery are preserved.

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Pronouns

Pronouns questions are writing questions that ask students to fill in a blank with the appropriate pronoun. Students must analyze the text to determine the antecedent in order to identify the correct pronoun.

Example:

A museum digitized thousands of fragile photographs so that researchers could study them without handling the originals. Some images were scanned too quickly and appeared blurry, but a set of photographs from a 1920s expedition was captured with unusual clarity. The archivists noted that the photographs were valuable because _____ preserved details that were missing from the expedition’s written records.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A) it
B) their
C) they
D) its

Answer: C) they

Explanation:

The pronoun refers to the photographs, which is plural. Since the blank comes before the verb preserved, the sentence needs a plural subject pronoun:

the photographs were valuable because they preserved details

Why the others are wrong:

A) it → singular subject pronoun; does not agree with plural photographs
B) their → plural possessive pronoun; the sentence needs a subject pronoun
D) its → singular possessive pronoun; does not agree with plural photographs

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Modifiers

Modifiers questions are writing questions that ask students to fill in the blank with a long clause without creating a modifier error such as a dangling modifier or misplaced modifer. These questions can be identified by the answer choices which vary greatly among themselves.

Example:

After studying how prairie grasses survive long periods without rain, ________. The findings helped botanists understand why some native plants recover quickly after droughts.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A) droughts were shown to affect some plants less severely than others
B) botanists identified several features that help the plants conserve water
C) several native plants recovered quickly after dry seasons
D) the roots of prairie grasses extended deep into the soil

Answer: B

Explanation:

The modifier “After studying how prairie grasses survive long periods without rain” must describe the noun that immediately follows it.

A) Incorrect. This suggests droughts studied how prairie grasses survive.
B) Correct. Botanists are the ones who logically could study prairie grasses.
C) Incorrect. This suggests several native plants studied how prairie grasses survive.
D) Incorrect. This suggests the roots studied how prairie grasses survive.

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Paired Passages

Paired passages questions are reading questions that include two related passages and a questions that normally asks the test-taker to make a comparison between the two texts.

Example:

Text 1

Some historians argue that the popularity of public photography studios in nineteenth-century cities was driven mainly by technological improvements. Earlier portrait painting was expensive and time-consuming, but new photographic processes allowed studios to produce likenesses more quickly and at lower cost. According to this interpretation, photography studios became popular chiefly because they made personal portraits available to a much wider public.

Text 2

Visual culture historian Marianne Cole notes that many photography studios carefully arranged painted backdrops, furniture, clothing accessories, and lighting to help customers present themselves in particular ways. Advertisements often promised not just an accurate likeness but a dignified or fashionable image suitable for display in family albums or exchange with friends. Cole argues that studio photography allowed ordinary people to participate in forms of self-presentation once associated mainly with elites.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the interpretation presented in Text 1?

A) By arguing that photography studios became popular only after portrait painting had disappeared as an art form
B) By suggesting that technological improvements made portraits more accessible, but studios also appealed to customers by helping them craft desirable public images
C) By claiming that nineteenth-century customers were usually less interested in accurate likenesses than in fashionable clothing and elaborate backdrops
D) By asserting that photography studios were designed mainly to imitate the homes of wealthy families

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:
Text 1 explains the growth of photography studios mainly through technology and affordability. Text 2 adds that studios did more than produce accurate portraits: they used props, lighting, and backdrops to help customers appear dignified or fashionable. The slight inference is that accessibility helps explain why more people could obtain portraits, but the popularity of studios also depended on the chance to control how one appeared to others.

A is unsupported because neither text says portrait painting disappeared.
C overstates Text 2. The passage says customers valued presentation in addition to likeness, not instead of likeness.
D misuses a detail from Text 2. The studios used props and backdrops, but the passage does not say they were mainly designed to copy wealthy homes.

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Inference

Inference questions are reading questions that ask the test-taker to make a logical inference based on the text provided.

Example:

When researchers first studied early electric elevators, they often focused on how the machines allowed buildings to rise higher than had previously been practical. However, real estate advertisements and architectural plans from the late nineteenth century suggest that elevators also changed how people valued space within buildings. Before elevators became common, upper floors were often less desirable because reaching them required climbing many stairs. After elevators were installed, some upper floors became attractive for offices, apartments, and hotel rooms because they offered better light, quieter surroundings, or impressive views.

Which choice best states what can reasonably be inferred from the text?

A. Electric elevators affected not only building height but also the desirability of certain floors within buildings.
B. Upper floors were always the most expensive spaces in buildings before electric elevators were invented.
C. Architects stopped designing lower floors for offices once elevators became common.
D. Real estate advertisements exaggerated the benefits of elevators because upper floors remained undesirable.

Answer: A

Explanation:
The passage explains that elevators made taller buildings practical, but it also says elevators changed how people valued upper floors. Before elevators, upper floors could be inconvenient because of stairs; afterward, some became desirable because of light, quiet, or views. Therefore, A is the best inference.

Choice B contradicts the passage because upper floors were often less desirable before elevators became common. Choice C goes too far; the passage does not say lower floors stopped being used for offices. Choice D is unsupported because the passage says some upper floors became attractive after elevators were installed.

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Digital SAT Math Practice Questions

Linear Functions

Linear functions questions test students’ knowledge on the linear equation $y=mx+b$ and how slope applies to rate of change and the y-intercept applies to the initial value.

Example:

A landscaping company charges a fixed fee plus an hourly rate. A 3-hour job costs $195, and a 7-hour job costs $415. Which equation represents the total cost C(h), in dollars, for a job that takes h hours?

A) $C(h)=45h+60$

B) $C(h)=50h+45$

C) $C(h)=55h+30$

D) $C(h)=60h+15$

Answer: C

Explanation:
The hourly rate is the slope:

$\dfrac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}$ ,

$\dfrac{415-195}{7-3}=55$

So the cost increases by $55 per hour. Use $C(h)=55h+b$ and substitute (3,195) to solve for $b$ :

$195=55(3)+b$ ,
$195=165+b$ ,
$b=30$

Therefore, the equation is:

$C(h)=55h+30$

Choice C is correct.

Combining Like Terms & Solving Equations

Combining like terms & solving equations questions test students’ ability to combine like-terms and solve simple or complex equations.

Example:

If $3(2x-5)-4(x+1)=17$ , what is the value of $x+8$ ?

A) 18
B) 24
C) 26
D) 27

Answer: C

Explanation:

First distribute:

$3(2x-5)=6x-15$
$-4(x+1)=-4x-4$

So the equation becomes:

$6x-15-4x-4=17$

Combine like terms:

$2x-19=17$

Add 19 to both sides:

$2x=36$

Divide by 2:

$x=18$

Now find $x+8$ :

$18+8=26$

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Angles, Polygons, & 3-D Shapes

Angles, Polygons, & 3-D shapes questions include angles, triangles, quadrilaterals (specifically parallelograms), spheres, cylinders, cones, and rectangular prisms. Rarely, there can be a question about regular hexagons, but that is really a question about equilateral triangles, since regular hexagons can be divided into six equilateral triangles. Questions can ask the measure of an angle, length of a side, height, volume, or density.

Example:

A right circular cone has a diameter of 16 centimeters and a slant height of 17 centimeters. What is the height, in centimeters, of the cone?

A) 8
B) 15
C) 24
D) 33

Correct Answer: B) 15

Explanation:
The diameter of the cone is 16 centimeters, so the radius is

$\dfrac{16}{2}=8$

The radius, height, and slant height form a right triangle inside the cone. The radius and height are the legs, and the slant height is the hypotenuse.

Use the Pythagorean theorem:

$a^2+b^2=c^2$ ,

$8^2+h^2=17^2$ ,

$64+h^2=289$ ,

$h^2=225$ ,

$h=15$

So, the height of the cone is 15 centimeters.

Quadratic Functions

Quadratic functions questions test students on the forms of the quadratic function, zeros of the function, vertex of the function, and properties of the roots of the function.

Example:

$f(x)=-(x-5)^2+18$

The function f is defined by the given equation. What is the maximum value of $f(x)$ ?

A) 5
B) 13
C) 18
D) 23

Answer: C) 18

Explanation:
The function is written in vertex form:

$f(x)=a(x-h)^2+k$

The vertex of the parabola is $(h,k)$ .

In the equation

$f(x)=-(x-5)^2+18$

the vertex is (5,18).

Since the coefficient of $(x-5)^2$ is negative, the parabola opens downward. Therefore, the vertex gives the maximum value of the function. The value of a function always refers to the y-value.

The maximum value of $f(x)$ is 18. The correct answer is C.

Functions

Function questions typically ask students to evaluate a function using the equation, graph or table. Sometimes the question asks students to calculate the output, value of the function, and sometimes students are asked to calculate the input, normally the x-value or t-value.

Data & Probability

Data & probability questions test students’ ability to interpret data from a chart and/or perform calculations related to the probability of an event occurring. Some questions will ask to find the likelihood of an event occurring while others may ask for the total possible outcomes, such as number of different ordered groups or number of combinations.

System of Equations

System of equations questions ask students to solve for a variable in a system of two equations with two variables or to identify an equation(s) that represents a mathematical relationship in a text.

Ratios & Proportions

Ratio and proportion questions ask students to analyze the relationship between quantities, determine how one value compares to another, and solve problems involving equivalent ratios. These questions often require students to simplify ratios, scale values up or down, and use cross-multiplication to find missing terms. They may appear in contexts such as comparing ingredients in a recipe, analyzing speed or density, or solving word problems involving part-to-whole or part-to-part comparisons. Some complex questions give a ratio for lengths of a real item and a scaled version, then ask students to use that to calculate areas.

Exponential Growth/Decay

Exponential Growth/Decay questions on the Digital SAT test students’ knowledge of the exponential function $A=A_0(1\pm r)^t$ , including the initial value, ratio, exponent, and its accompanying graph.

Circles

Circles questions on the SAT test students’ knowledge of the equation of a circle, $(x-h)^2+(y-k)^2=r^2$ ; the area of a circle, $A=\pi r^2$ ; circumference of a circle, $C=2\pi r$ ; and relationships between angles in a circle and corresponding sector or arc lengths.

Percent

Percent questions test students’ understanding of percentages by asking students to solve for the percent, part, or whole, given the other values. Complex percent questions include fending the original value before an percent increase or decrease.

Transforming Functions

Transforming functions questions ask students to draw mathematical conclusions about the values of a function after a transformation, such as a horizontal translation, vertical translation, dilation, and/or reflection.

Trigonometry

Trigonometry questions test students’ knowledge of sine, cosine, and tangent in a right triangle or in similar triangles.
$sin(A)=\dfrac{opp}{hyp}$
$cos(A)=\dfrac{adj}{hyp}$
$tan(A)=\dfrac{opp}{adj}$
More complex questions involve the relationship that $sinA=cos(90-A)$ , where $A$ is an angle less than $90^o$ .

Solving for a Variable in Terms of Others

Solving for a Variable in Terms of Others questions on the Digital SAT ask students to solve for a specific variable in an equation or formula in terms of the other variables. Sometimes the questions are relatively easy and only require one step, while complex ones require multiple steps including factoring out a variable.

Exponents

Exponents questions on the SAT ask students to simplify an expression by combining terms and combining exponents, adding exponents when multiplying terms with the same base, subtracting exponents when dividing terms with the same base, and multiplying exponents when one term with an exponent is raised to another exponent. Some questions may ask students to identify equivalent forms of an expression written in more complex forms than the provided form.

Common Math Tricks

Common math tricks questions involve substituting values in for expressions or simply adding equations together to get a final equation that the question is looking for, rather than solving for each variable. Many times common math tricks can be applied to a number of different questions types on the test.

No Solution & Infinite Solutions

No solution & infinite solutions questions ask students to determine what value a constant must have in an equation for a system of equations to have no solution or infinite solutions. This is common for a system of equations including a linear equation and a quadratic equation. In this system, it is important to remember the rules about the discriminate in the quadratic formula for determining the number of solutions.