Last Updated On: September 4th, 2025
Twenty years ago, paper tests were the norm and digital tests were an experimental oddity. Today, digital testing is the norm and paper tests are becoming less and less common. As digital testing has become more commonplace, test preparation tools have also increasingly moved to an online, digital format. This transformation brings new opportunities for students to reach their highest potential, but it still requires students to stay accountable and put in the hard work required to reach their academic goals.
As a tutor, I always advise students to practice with the form of the test they’re planning to take. Thus, with digital testing, students should practice on the computer. Fortunately, as testing organizations have changed the format of their tests, preparation materials have also adapted.
First, testing organizations have released free, official digital tools and apps:
- Students must download the free SAT Bluebook app to take both their real tests and up to seven free, full-length practice tests. In addition, Khan Academy has partnered with the College Board to offer free SAT preparation resources.
- Students who want additional SAT practice can use the College Board’s free SAT question bank. This is a good resource because it organizes questions by both topic and difficulty. The downside is that it is not the most user-friendly. In order to view the questions without the answers, you have to click on the questions you want and create a PDF file. Then, you have to download another PDF file with the answers if you want the answer key.
- The ACT offers a free download of its TestNav program, though it currently does not seem to reflect the format of the new test. The “enhanced ACT” (the current test) is offered on the ACT website, though it seems to offer only one test for free.
- For the ISEE, the website www.iseepracticetest.com by the company Test Innovators, in partnership with the ERB, allows students to try the free “What to Expect” test using its platform, though users must pay for additional resources.
In addition, many major test preparation companies offer a website with digital practice tests, either as an “a la carte” option or as a free (or paid) supplement to purchasing their print book.
Test-takers can also find several paid test preparation resources that use a digital platform, including the following:
- The company Test Innovators operates the website www.iseepracticetest.com with multiple practice tests and an extensive question bank for the different types of questions found on the test, organized by topic and difficulty. In addition, it operates similar websites with multiple practice tests and question banks for the SAT, ACT, and HSPT.
- The website IXL, a resource already used by many schools, can guide students through a “study plan” specific for the ACT, HiSET, SAT, and several other tests. These study plans are based on skills needed for the test but don’t specifically replicate a particular test’s style and format, so they’re best used in combination with other resources.
- Magoosh and Kaplan offer many test-preparation packages and options with digital tests and resources.
What about using Chat GPT for test preparation?
Chat GPT is a work in progress, so for now I would avoid using it when there are vetted, tried-and-true resources out there. After hearing some of my students bring up ChatGPT as a test preparation tool, I decided to experiment with it a bit for SAT preparation. First, I inserted a screenshot of a difficult-level question from an SAT practice test and asked it to solve it and give an explanation. It solved it correctly and showed a step-by-step explanation. It was very similar to the explanation that the College Board would give on their website, however, and even as a tutor I find math difficult to understand simply by looking at a written explanation.
Next, I asked ChatGPT to “Please create a math question that would be the hardest question on the new, digital SAT.” I work with many students who are trying to get a perfect or near-perfect score, so I would welcome a resource to get more of these super-difficult questions. After thinking for about 30 seconds, it created a question that seemed to be in the style of the SAT and was really difficult! It was so hard that I was completely stumped and kept asking it for hints. On about the fifth hint, the program realized that it had actually given me an unsolvable question! It changed the question to be solvable, but it was then so much easier that I don’t think it mimicked the hardest test questions anymore.
Next, it offered to create a problem set of four very difficult SAT-style math questions. The questions seemed to mimic the style of the SAT, but when I tried to solve them, only the first question had a matching solution. The other three questions had four multiple-choice answers that didn’t match my answers at all, though I felt confident I was solving them correctly. I brought this up with the program, and it checked and affirmed that there were faulty answer choices for those three problems. It then corrected the errors so that the answer choices matched. If I were a student and not a tutor, though, I might have been banging my head against the wall for several more minutes thinking I was doing the math incorrectly when it was really the program that was wrong! The program then created four more practice problems for which it first affirmed the answer choices, which were solvable.
After that, it offered to create a PDF sheet of formulas to memorize for the test because they don’t appear on the formula reference sheet provided during the SAT. I’d already created one of these myself for my students, but I told it to go ahead because I was curious what it would create. It included several useful formulas and rules, but it left off two that I find most helpful: sum of the roots and product of the roots for a quadratic equation. I brought this up, and it then added them. When it created the PDF file, however, it did not format it well, so it was difficult to understand. When I create my own resources I use equation editor before saving as a PDF, and it looks much better.
The whole experience showed me that ChatGPT might be useful for some test preparation purposes, but it makes so many errors that you have to approach it with substantial knowledge of the test. Since the SAT is one of the most widely used tests out there, I can imagine that other, lesser-known tests will produce even less accurate results. While mistakes do occur from time to time with the most common test prep resources, the errors are not as prevalent as what I experienced with Chat GPT. For now, I would stay away from it as a test-taker.
What are the advantages of using digital tools for test preparation?
If you’re taking the actual test in a digital format, the first advantage of the digital test is that it will be more similar to your test-day experience than a paper practice book. In addition, digital tools offer instant feedback, with explanations of incorrect answers and links to additional practice, videos, or resources. Unlike paper practice tests, some websites track the time spent on each question, which can be very helpful if you’re trying to improve your pacing. Some websites also seek to make practice engaging with videos and games; the games rarely mimic the actual format of the test, but they can be helpful when practicing skills.
What are the disadvantages of digital tools?
The biggest disadvantage to relying only on digital tools is the same disadvantage of do-it-yourself test prep from books: lack of accountability. Though hundreds of practice questions may be at your fingertips and the website can even spit out a personalized study plan, you still must set aside time to work through the material. This is the same reason why someone might pay for a personal trainer or an exercise class even though they can access dozens of YouTube videos with similar programs for free. In addition, digital tools are housed on the same devices as dozens of distractions, like text messages from your friends and funny cat videos. I recommend closing all other windows and silencing one’s devices before sitting down to do test prep, but I know that’s easier said than done.
Another disadvantage is that even the best digital tools can have trouble reading your mood and giving you the pep talk you need if you get frustrated. A human tutor can tell when you need a stretch break or are not understanding an explanation, while digital tools might simply deliver the same programmed responses.
Can an in-person tutor be used alongside digital tools?
Absolutely! In fact, many digital tools (such as the Test Innovators platform) have tutor access built into them. A human tutor—either on Zoom or in person—can help you identify the best digital tools for your needs, help hold you accountable for sticking to a study plan, and make sure that, for the hour or two you work together, you are really focused on test prep and not your cell phone or that fun but distracting video.
For students who don’t have the resources for a human tutor, digital resources provide valuable options to make test preparation accessible to everyone. For those who have the resources, however, a personal tutor alongside digital resources is a winning combination that can help you to reach your full scoring potential.
