What We’re Predicting for the December Digital SAT (and How to Prepare for It)

With the December SAT coming up, a lot of students are asking us what is going to be on the test. We cannot see the future, but we can look carefully at the past. By analyzing leaked copies of recent digital SAT administrations, we have been tracking clear patterns in the kinds of questions that keep showing up. Based on that analysis, here are nine things we strongly expect to see on your upcoming SAT and what you should focus on as you prepare.

Punctuation That Changes Meaning

Most students are used to punctuation questions being about basic rules: commas, periods, and semicolons. Recently, though, the test has started using punctuation to change the meaning of a sentence, especially with transitions like however. The key idea is:

• More than one option may be grammatically correct.
• The placement of the transition (before or after a semicolon, for example) will change which ideas it contrasts.

You must ask, “What is being contrasted with what?” and choose the punctuation that creates the correct relationship.

Constants in Equations With No Solution

In Math, there is a recurring question type where you are given an equation involving a variable and a constant, and you are asked: “What value of the constant makes this equation have no solution?” The main trick is:

• Rearrange the equation so that like terms cancel and you end up with something like 0x = nonzero, which is impossible.
• To make that happen, you set the coefficients of the variable equal so they cancel, then solve for the constant.

These problems look intimidating at first, but once you recognize the pattern, they become quick and mechanical.

Punctuation With Names and Titles

Questions about how to punctuate titles and names are very common. The rule that matters most is whether the name is essential or non-essential information. Here is the shortcut we see tested again and again:

• If it is just “linguist Sandra Chung” or “the linguist Sandra Chung,” the name is considered essential → no commas.
• If it says “a linguist, Sandra Chung,” then the name is extra information → surround it with commas.

Almost every time on the test, the correct answer is the one that does not put commas around the name.

Unit Conversions With Squared Measurements

Regular unit conversions (yards to miles, feet to inches, and so on) show up constantly. The twist we keep seeing is when the test uses area instead of length, which means squared units. This is where many students fall into a trap:

• They use the linear conversion (like 1 mile = 1,760 yards) once and divide by 1,760.
• But if the measurement is in square yards and you are converting to square miles, you must square the conversion factor:

Divide by 1,760², not just 1,760.

As long as you remember to square the conversion factor when the units themselves are squared, these questions are very manageable.

Verb Formation With “Deceptive” Main Verbs

On the Reading and Writing side, verb formation questions increasingly rely on fake main verbs: words that look like they should be the main verb of the sentence but actually are not. The pattern works like this:

• The sentence already contains a real main verb near the end.
• The blank sits in a phrase describing the subject, not in the main clause.

The tempting wrong answers are fully conjugated main verbs (like resulted), but what you actually need is a non-finite form (like resulting).

The solution is to read all the way to the end of the sentence and identify the real main verb before choosing the form that goes in the blank.

Systems of Equations With No Solution

Another very common pattern is a system of two linear equations that has no solution. The important fact is:

• Two lines have no solution when they are parallel but distinct.
• That means:
• Same slope
• Different intercept

So the quickest strategy is to:

• Put each equation into slope–intercept form, or
• Graph them quickly (for example, using Desmos on the digital test) and look for lines that are parallel and never intersect.

Dangling Modifiers

Every recent test we have studied includes at least one dangling modifier question. These usually look like: Introductory phrase + comma + blank For example: “A theoretical relationship between tax rates and revenues, ___” The rule is simple and heavily tested:

• Whatever that opening phrase is describing must come immediately after the comma.
• If the phrase describes a thing (such as a curve or a relationship), then the next word must refer to that thing.

If an answer choice places a person or unrelated noun after the comma, that choice is wrong.

Once you get used to asking, “Who or what does this phrase describe?” these become some of the easiest points on the test.

Standard Deviation (Without Heavy Calculations)

Standard deviation shows up on almost every administration now. The good news is that the SAT is not asking you to compute the formula by hand. A typical problem will:

• Give you two data sets.
• Tell you that the standard deviation of one is greater than, less than, or equal to the other.

Ask which value of a constant would make that comparison true.

On the digital test, you can use Desmos to:

• Plug the values into the built-in stdev function,
• Use the slider for the unknown value,
• Check which option makes the comparison statement correct.

Once you are comfortable using Desmos like this, these questions become more about testing your setup than your raw calculation skills.

Rhetorical Synthesis Questions Where the Notes Actually Matter

Rhetorical synthesis questions give you a set of research notes and a specific goal, such as explaining an advantage or choosing a sentence that best matches a purpose. Most of the time, the best strategy is to:

• Focus on the stated goal in the question,
• Choose the answer that best fulfills that goal,
• Ignore the notes unless more than one choice seems to work.

However, on some recent tests, we have seen questions where two answers both meet the stated goal, but only one is factually correct according to the notes. In those cases:

• You must go back and read the notes carefully.
• Eliminate any answer that uses a detail that actually belongs to a different location, time period, or example in the notes.

So if more than one answer choice seems logically correct, that is your signal to check the research notes for factual accuracy.

How You Can Use These Predictions

These are not random guesses. They are patterns that have shown up repeatedly across recent digital SATs that we have reviewed. To make the best use of them:

• Practice punctuation questions that test meaning, not just rule memorization.
• Drill no-solution problems for both single equations and systems.
• Memorize the core rules for names and titles, dangling modifiers, and verb forms in complex sentences.
• Get comfortable using Desmos for standard deviation problems and graph-based algebra.
• When you see rhetorical synthesis, always start with the goal and only move to the notes if more than one answer fits.

You will not know the exact questions ahead of time, but if you focus on these patterns, you will recognize the way the test is written. That is the closest we can get to seeing the future of your SAT.

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