Yes, Desmos is on the SAT: Bluebook has it built in, and you can use it on every Math question. To practice on the same College Board setup, open desmos.com/testing/collegeboard/graphing or use the practice calculator on our Desmos on the SAT page.
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The Bluebook calculator has a graphing mode and a scientific mode, and you can switch between them at any point in the Math section. You can drag it anywhere on the screen. You may bring your own approved handheld calculator, but you don't need one.
If you plan to bring your own, check it against our SAT calculator policy page first: College Board now bans every calculator with CAS (computer algebra system) functionality.
Checked against College Board's calculator policy, Bluebook's testing-tools page and Desmos's College Board calculator sheet on September 25, 2026. The Test Advantage is independent of College Board and Desmos.
Key terms
- Bluebook
- College Board's app you take the digital SAT in. It has the Desmos calculator built in for both Math modules.
- College Board version of Desmos
- Desmos's testing calculator set up for College Board exams, at desmos.com/testing/collegeboard. Its graphing mode turns off images, folders and notes, and it switches on log mode for exponential, logarithmic and power regressions where it applies.
- Regression
- Fitting a model to table data. In Desmos, the tilde (
~) tells Desmos to fit the model to the table columns.
Where to open the Desmos graphing calculator (College Board version)
- On test day, Desmos is built into Bluebook for both Math modules. You can't use a calculator on Reading and Writing.
- Before test day, College Board suggests trying the Math section of the test preview or taking a practice test in Bluebook.
- On the web, Desmos hosts the College Board graphing calculator at desmos.com/testing/collegeboard/graphing and the scientific one at desmos.com/testing/collegeboard/scientific. Desmos lists this setup for the SAT Suite and AP Exams.
Testing calculators can't log in, import graphs, or save and share links. A graph saved in your personal Desmos account won't be there on test day, so practice with a blank calculator.
How College Board Desmos differs from desmos.com
| Calculator | College Board version |
|---|---|
| Four-function and scientific | Same as on desmos.com. |
| Graphing | Images, folders and notes are turned off. Log mode switches on by itself for exponential, logarithmic and power regressions where it applies. |
Test makers choose the calculator features once a year, usually the summer before the school year. A new feature on desmos.com during the school year usually won't appear on that year's tests.
Choose a method from the question
| Your task | Try this | Check before answering |
|---|---|---|
| Solve two equations | Graph both and look at where they cross. | Does the question ask for x, y, or a combination? |
| Find a quadratic's solutions | Graph the expression and look at its x-intercepts. | Do you need both roots, their sum, or their product? |
| Model table data | Enter the values in a table and fit the stated model. | Does the question call for a linear, quadratic, or exponential model? |
| Check an answer choice | Substitute the proposed value into the original expression. | Does it satisfy the original equation and its restrictions? |
You can solve some short equations faster by hand, and College Board says the same: some Math questions go better without a calculator. Pick the method before you start typing. Some questions also go faster in the other mode, so learn when to switch to the scientific calculator.
Graph two equations and check the intersection
Try y = 2x + 3 and y = -x + 9. Type each equation on its own line. The lines cross at (2, 7).
Check both equations: 2(2) + 3 = 7 and -2 + 9 = 7. If the question asks for x + y, your answer is 9. Entering 2 would answer a different question.
Parallel, distinct lines never cross, so that system has no solution. Two equations that describe the same line have infinitely many solutions. Zooming out won't create a single crossing point in either case. For three more worked examples, see how to solve systems of equations on Desmos.
Use regression with a data table
Add a table and enter x-values in the first column and y-values in the second. For a linear model, type y_1 ~ m x_1 + b. The tilde, ~, tells Desmos to fit the model. The subscripts point to the table columns.
For a quadratic model, type y_1 ~ a x_1^2 + b x_1 + c. Try the points (1,3), (2,7), (3,13), (4,21). The coefficients are a = 1, b = 1, and c = 1, giving y = x^2 + x + 1. Substituting each x-value confirms the fit.
A curve that fits a few points doesn't tell you which model the question wants. Read the description and units before you choose a regression. For exponential models, remember that the College Board version turns on log mode for you. Work through more SAT regression practice problems next.
Check a root by substitution
Suppose you need a solution to 3x^2 - 5x + 2 = 0. You can graph the left side and look at where it crosses the x-axis, or substitute a proposed value.
At x = 2/3, the expression equals 4/3 - 10/3 + 2 = 0. At x = 4, it equals 30, so 4 is not a solution. Factoring gives (3x - 2)(x - 1) = 0, which also gives the root x = 1.
If a graph point shows a decimal, turn it back into a fraction or substitute it before you pick an answer. Follow the response instructions shown with the question. The same graph-and-read habit works when you find x- and y-intercepts on Desmos.
Try three practice checks
These are SAT-style teaching examples written by TTA. Solve each one before you open its explanation.
A line passes through (0,4) and (3,10). Where does it meet y = -2x + 16?
The first line has slope 2 and equation y = 2x + 4. Set 2x + 4 = -2x + 16 to get x = 3, then y = 10. The intersection is (3,10). Both equations give 10 at x = 3.
Which quadratic fits (1,3), (2,7), (3,13), and (4,21)?
y = x^2 + x + 1. Fit the quadratic in a table, then substitute x = 4: 16 + 4 + 1 = 21.
For which real values of k does x^2 + kx + 9 = 0 have one distinct real solution?
The discriminant must be zero: k^2 - 36 = 0. So k = 6 or k = -6. Graphing the equation for a few values of k can help you see the pattern, but the discriminant gives the exact values.
Two more Desmos moves: one-variable equations and sliders
Type a one-variable equation exactly as written
If an equation has only x in it, type the whole equation on one line. Desmos draws each solution as a vertical line, and you click the line to read the x-value. Try sqrt(2x + 9) = x + 3. You get one vertical line, at x = 0.
Solving by hand shows why only one line appears. Squaring both sides gives 2x + 9 = x^2 + 6x + 9, so x^2 + 4x = 0 and x is 0 or -4. Check -4 in the original: the left side is sqrt(1) = 1 and the right side is -1. That value does not work, and Desmos leaves it off the graph.
Use a slider to test answer choices for a constant
Some questions say two expressions are equivalent and ask for a constant. Example: 12/(4x^2 + 20) is equivalent to 3/(x^2 + k). What is k?
- Type
y = 12/(4x^2 + 20)on line 1 andy = 3/(x^2 + k)on line 2. - Desmos offers a slider for k. Add it.
- Type each answer choice into the k box instead of dragging. When the two graphs sit on top of each other, you have the answer.
Here the curves match at k = 5. The algebra agrees: factor 4 out of the first denominator to get 12/(4(x^2 + 5)) = 3/(x^2 + 5).
Budget your Desmos time
According to College Board, you get 70 minutes for 44 Math questions, split into two 35-minute modules of 22 questions. That is about 95 seconds per question (35 × 60 ÷ 22 ≈ 95).
From our practice data: On The Test Advantage, students in finished practice sessions spent a median of about 60 seconds per question (based on 588 finished sessions from 113 students on The Test Advantage, Jun–Sep 2026; measured as session time divided by questions answered, across all practice sections, not Math alone).
Seconds saved on a short question pay for a graph on a harder one. Decide early whether a question needs Desmos, then check what the graph shows before you trust it.
Worked example: one touch or two crossings?
This is an original SAT-style example written for this guide. How many solutions does this system have: y = x^2 - 6x + 5 and y = 2x - 11?
Show the answer and the trap
One. Graph both equations, and the line meets the parabola near (4, -3). The trap is trusting your eyes: when a line only touches a parabola, looking at the graph won't tell you for sure whether it touches once or crosses twice very close together. Check with algebra. Set x^2 - 6x + 5 = 2x - 11 to get x^2 - 8x + 16 = 0, which is (x - 4)^2 = 0. The discriminant is 64 - 64 = 0, so there is exactly one solution. Check the point: 16 - 24 + 5 = -3 and 2(4) - 11 = -3.
Practice the timing on The Test Advantage
The Desmos on the SAT page loads the College Board configuration of Desmos's testing calculator, with graphing and scientific modes. Its technique library covers eleven Desmos methods, each with when to use it and the mistake that trips students up, and a separate section covers when not to use Desmos. Then time 10 Math questions from the question bank at about 16 minutes (10 × 95 seconds), and mark which ones you opened Desmos for.
Turn the practice into a review plan
Write down whether you missed the setup, the calculator entry, or the final step. Rework that step on another problem before you try a timed set. If you have a recent Bluebook result, use our practice-test review method to sort your mistakes.
More questions about Desmos on the SAT
- Is Desmos Allowed on the SAT? Version, History and Where to Find It
- How to Solve for x on Desmos (SAT Method)
- How to Do Ratios and Percentages on Desmos
- When to Use Regression on the SAT (and What r Squared Means)
- When Should You Not Use Desmos on SAT Math?
- Desmos SAT Practice Problems, With Answers
Practice on the SAT version of Desmos
Open the College Board version of Desmos on our Desmos on the SAT page, try the methods above, then move on to SAT Math questions.
Practice on the SAT version of Desmos
Next, practice SAT Math questions in the TTA question bank, or create a practice account.
More guides on this skill
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the SAT have Desmos?
Yes. Bluebook, the app you take the SAT in, has a Desmos calculator built in with a graphing mode and a scientific mode. College Board allows calculators on the entire Math section, and you can switch modes at any point. You can't use a calculator on Reading and Writing.
Is Desmos still on the SAT?
Yes. College Board's calculator policy, checked September 25, 2026, still lists the Desmos calculator embedded in Bluebook. Desmos's College Board calculator sheet is marked "Updated for SY2026-2027".
Where is the College Board version of Desmos?
Desmos hosts it at desmos.com/testing/collegeboard/graphing, with a scientific version at the same address ending in /scientific. Desmos lists it for the SAT Suite and AP Exams. You can also use it on The Test Advantage's Desmos on the SAT page.
Is College Board Desmos different from desmos.com?
A little. The graphing calculator turns off images, folders and notes, and it switches on log mode for exponential, logarithmic and power regressions. The scientific and four-function calculators match desmos.com.
Is the Desmos graphing calculator allowed on the SAT?
Yes. The Desmos graphing calculator is built into Bluebook, and you can use it on every Math question in both Math modules. You may also bring your own approved handheld calculator, but you don't need one.
When was Desmos added to the SAT?
The built-in Desmos calculator is part of the digital SAT, which launched internationally in March 2023 and in the US on March 9, 2024.
Can I bring my own calculator instead?
Yes, if it has no CAS (computer algebra system). College Board doesn't keep a list of permitted graphing calculators, so check its list of prohibited ones. If your calculator fails during the test, you can keep going with the built-in Desmos calculator.