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SAT + ACT Combined Diagnostic Exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost?

It's 100% free! While we certainly hope that you will consider Green Light Education for SAT or ACT tutoring following your exam, you are under absolutely no obligation to work with us.

How long does it take?

The SAT/ACT Combined Diagnostic Exam takes 55 minutes to complete, including two 5-minute breaks (between the Verbal Section and the Math Section and between the Math Section and the Science Section).


The timing is broken down as follows:

  • Verbal Section: 20 minutes
  • Break #1: 5 minutes
  • Math Section: 15 minutes
  • Break #2: 5 minutes
  • Science Section: 10 minutes
Do I have to complete it all at once?

You do not have to take the Combined SAT/ACT Diagnostic Exam exam in one sitting - you'll receive an email after you complete each section with a link to begin the next section.


So, you can theoretically take as long as you'd like between sections (Note: you cannot pause a section in the middle and return to it later).


However, we strongly encourage you to take the exam in one sitting, as this is how you will take the real exam. It's important to consider how fatigue will factor into your exam performance, and taking the exam all at once is the best way to simulate this variable.

What should I bring with me?

We recommend that you bring the following items to your exam:

  • A calculator
  • Scrap paper
  • A pencil + eraser
  • A light snack (to be consumed during your breaks)
How does timing work?

Each section has its own timer, which is displayed at the bottom of the exam page. You cannot exceed this time, but you are welcome to submit your exam early if you finish before time expires.


We currently only support Standard Time, but plan to roll out an Extended Time version by mid-2025.

Are the results accurate?

Our goal when creating our Combined SAT/ACT Diagnostic Exam was to provide the most accurate results possible in the shortest amount of time. To achieve this objective, we had to balance two primary considerations when designing the exam:

  1. The need to project a student's full exam score with a high degree of accuracy.
  2. The importance of providing a similar content composition to the full-length exam.

We've achieved #1 by providing score bands in our score reports - essentially several different projections based on our degree of certainty.


We've achieved #2 by ensuring that the content breakdown is as close to that of the full-length exam as possible.


The purpose of any diagnostic exam is to provide a benchmark from which parents and students can make informed decisions about their preparation process, and we believe that our Combined SAT/ACT Diagnostic Exam does exactly that.

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