December SAT 2025: Tutor Reaction & Honest Debrief
- Laura (Heslin) Whitmore
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
By Laura Whitmore
You did it – the December digital SAT is done. 🎉
I’m Laura Whitmore, founder of Strategic Test Prep, longtime SAT educator, and someone who still sits for at least one SAT every year so I can stay sharp and guide students with real, firsthand experience.
In this post, I’m recapping a live reaction conversation I had with my colleague Pranoy (PM Tutors) about how the test felt, what surprised us, and how you can use your score report strategically once scores come out. This isn’t a question-by-question breakdown (we have to follow College Board rules), but it will help you make sense of your experience and plan your next steps.
Want a break from reading? Head over to my YouTube video instead!
🍵 First Impressions: Was the December SAT Actually Hard?
One of the biggest questions we discussed was whether this test felt harder or easier than expected, especially compared to the November exam which I also sat for.
Interestingly, both of us agreed that neither Reading nor Math felt particularly difficult overall. Much of the test was straightforward once you settled into the rhythm of each module.
However, the digital SAT still has this quirk where some questions look intimidating at first glance even when the underlying skill is simple. A long paragraph or a scary-looking expression can throw students off, but once you slow down, the question often reveals itself as standard SAT content. In fact, many of the trickiest-looking math questions were actually among the easiest once you ignored the fluff.
🍵 The Digital SAT’s Strange Difficulty Fluctuations
One thing that continues to stand out about the digital SAT is how unpredictable the difficulty ordering is. On the old paper test, difficulty typically increased in a clear progression. Now, you might see three surprisingly easy questions in the middle of a supposedly harder module. Or you’ll spend several minutes battling a dense problem only to find that the next question is something you can solve in 30 seconds.
This inconsistency makes pacing harder for students. If you assume the end of the module is going to be brutal and save everything for later, you could get tripped up. Likewise, if you expect the hard questions to be at the end, you may burn unnecessary time early on.
The takeaway: you must stay flexible.
🍵 Skipping Smartly: The Single Most Important Strategy
Something both of us emphasized was the importance of being willing to skip questions more quickly. If you open a question and feel immediate uncertainty about how to begin, skip it and return later. On the digital SAT, lingering too long on one problem can ruin your pacing on the remaining questions, especially in module two where the pressure ramps up fast.
I personally used a much more assertive skipping strategy than I have in the past, especially after my experience on the November SAT where poor time management cost me valuable points. In December, I decided to protect my pacing—and it worked. Students need to get comfortable with the idea that skipping is not failure. It’s strategy.
🍵 Rethinking Your English Section Approach
For high-scoring students, question order on the English section can significantly affect stamina. Dense scientific passages, for example, require more cognitive energy. When I realized I wasn’t mentally fresh enough for those at the beginning of the section, I simply skipped them and came back when I was more focused.
I used to tell students to start with grammar (around question 15) and move forward, but that approach left all the reading-heavy questions for the end—and that can be overwhelming. Now, I tend to work backward from question 27, break up the reading passages, and use the vocabulary questions as a mental reset. It sounds complicated, but in practice it gives your brain mini-breaks and keeps fatigue under control.
Pranoy shared that he keeps things simpler for some students, especially those who don’t need a perfect score. The beauty of the digital SAT is that scoring allows for some missed reading questions while still achieving top-tier results. Students targeting mid-1500s may not need to finish every reading question perfectly to reach their goal.
🍵 How Useful Was Desmos?
Desmos continues to be a helpful tool, but not a universal solution. I used it mostly to check my work rather than solve problems outright. There were one or two questions where graphing made sense—but for the majority, traditional math skills were faster.
Interestingly, Pranoy experienced a Bluebook glitch that shrunk his screen and made Desmos harder to use. It was a reminder that your device matters. A smooth test day starts with reliable hardware, not just good content knowledge.
🍵 What’s the Deal With Experimental Questions?
Another topic we touched on was experimental questions. Many students try to guess whether a question “didn’t count,” especially if it felt strange. But in reality, everyone has different forms, and variation doesn’t necessarily indicate experimental status. What you can count on is that there are always exactly eight experimental questions—two in each module—regardless of difficulty or placement.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter which ones they are. The scoring algorithm handles it automatically.
🍵 Are Bluebook Practice Tests Accurate?
In terms of concept coverage, yes—Bluebook tests are representative. If you’ve completed all Bluebook exams and worked through the official question bank, you’ve seen every concept the SAT can throw at you.
Where students get confused is when College Board rephrases a question, adds extra wording, or frames a familiar concept in a slightly new way. But the underlying skills are absolutely the same. The test may feel different, but it isn’t testing anything outside the established blueprint.
Final Thoughts for Students
If you walked out of the December SAT feeling unsure, you’re not alone. Even seasoned tutors occasionally second-guess a few questions. This test has a way of amplifying small moments of doubt, but that doesn’t mean your score will suffer.
The truth is that most students worry about far more questions than they actually got wrong. And with experimental questions in the mix, the margin for error is wider than you might think.
Your next step is simple: analyze your performance thoughtfully, identify your opportunity areas, and prepare with intention rather than anxiety.
For personalized help, both PM Tutors and Strategic Test Prep are now accepting students for the 2026 testing cycle. And don’t forget to grab the free Test Tracker—it will completely change the way you study.
Visit info.strategictestprep.com/consultation to request a free consultation and get matched with one of our expert tutors. Together, we’ll build your personalized plan to hit your dream score.
Happy prepping!
