The night before the SAT is not the time to learn new material. Any meaningful score improvement comes from weeks of consistent practice, not a last-minute sprint. What you can do tonight is briefly revisit the concepts and question types that tend to give you trouble.

Spend about an hour going through your notes, formula sheets, or any weak areas you've identified in practice. A few concrete things worth reviewing:

• Math formulas you want fresh in your memory (Acely's SAT math cheat sheet and Desmos SAT guide are good for this)
• Grammar rules that have tripped you up in practice, like subject-verb agreement or punctuation at clause boundaries
• Your own error log, if you've been keeping one: a quick scan of recurring mistakes can be more useful than re-reading entire guides

If you want, try a short warm-up mini-quiz: just 2 or 3 questions per section. The goal isn't to get them all right. It's to get your brain into test mode, so you're not shaking the rust off at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

You don't need a gourmet meal, but a balanced dinner does matter. The SAT is a long test (close to 3 hours), and hunger or low energy will work against you, especially toward the end when focus is harder to hold.

• Eat earlier in the evening so digestion doesn't affect your sleep quality
• Avoid anything too heavy or unfamiliar that might leave you feeling sluggish in the morning
• Drink plenty of water throughout the evening. Hydration has a real impact on cognitive performance the next day

This one sounds obvious, but it matters. Trying to study right up until you fall asleep keeps your brain in a heightened state and makes it harder to get deep, restful sleep. Giving yourself at least an hour to decompress before bed is worth it.

What “winding down” looks like is up to you. Watch something you enjoy, read a book, go for a walk, or try 10 minutes of meditation if that's something you respond to. The goal is to quiet the noise so you can fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling rested.

Don't leave this for the morning. Getting everything ready the night before removes one source of anxiety from test day and means you won't be scrambling if something is missing.

Per the College Board, here's what you'll need:

• Fully charged testing device (laptop or iPad) with Bluebook installed and exam setup complete. Check approved devices here.
• Printed admission ticket from the Bluebook app. Available starting 5 days before your test date; a printed copy is preferred.
• Acceptable photo ID (physical only, not electronic)
• Your College Board username and password
• An approved calculator for the Math section, though Bluebook also has a built-in Desmos calculator you can use
• Pencils or pens for scratch work
• Charger for your testing device
• Snacks and a water bottle for the break between sections

Also worth doing tonight: confirm your route to the test center. Look up the drive time, check for any traffic issues, and know exactly where you're going. Getting there early means you start the test settled, not rushed.

For the full official list of what to bring (and what to leave at home), see the College Board's test day page.

You've probably heard this before, but it really does matter. The SAT is a long, cognitively demanding test, and your ability to stay focused in the final stretch depends heavily on how rested you are going in.

• Go to bed earlier than usual. Nerves can make it harder to fall asleep, so build in buffer time rather than cutting it close.
• Put your phone down. Screen time close to bed is well-documented to delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality.
• Don't try to fall asleep faster by worrying. Your relaxation routine should help here: give yourself time to decompress before you expect to sleep.

Staying up an extra hour to review won't move your score. A full night of sleep will.

Wake up with enough time to eat a real breakfast and get to the test center without rushing. Even if you're not a breakfast person, eating something in the morning gives your brain the fuel it needs to sustain focus for 3 hours.

• Device charged and Bluebook open
• Admission ticket and ID in your bag
• Snacks and a water bottle are packed
• Test center address confirmed

When you get there, take a few deep breaths before the test starts. You've put in the work. This is just the moment you get to show what you know.