Check your device now, not the week of the test. The rules tightened for 2026–27 and the change that strands the most students is blunt: a personal Chromebook is no longer allowed. Only school-managed Chromebooks with Verified Mode enabled will run Bluebook. Every other device type has a minimum operating-system version, smart glasses are newly prohibited, and the loaner-device request closes roughly a month before you test.
The device table
These are the floors. A device below them will not run the exam, and finding that out on test-day morning is not a recoverable situation. To rehearse on the device you will use, take a free full-length practice test. Do this well before the 18 September deadline for the October administration, not on the morning itself.
| Device | Minimum | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Chromebook | ChromeOS 144+ | School-managed only. Personal Chromebooks are prohibited, the school must switch on Verified Mode in its admin console, and ChromeOS Flex is banned outright. |
| Mac | macOS 15+ | Raised from macOS 12 for 2026-27. Older MacBooks that cannot reach 15 are out, and many cannot. Check before you assume. |
| iPad | iPadOS 18+ | Raised from iPadOS 16. You also need 250 MB free. An external keyboard is allowed and worth having, but it is not required. |
| Windows | Windows 11 24H2+ | Windows 10 is out. Bluebook cannot be installed below 24H2, so an un-upgraded Windows 10 laptop fails at install, not at login. S mode and Windows 11 SE are also barred. |
Read the Windows row twice. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 in October 2025 and College Board followed: Bluebook's own requirements page now states that it "can't be installed on versions below the required minimum". That is a different failure from a slow laptop. The app will not open at all, and the student finds out when they try to install it, which for most families is the night before.
Check tonight, not on test week. On Windows, press the Windows key, type winver and read the version line: it must say 11 and 24H2 or higher. A machine on 10 that meets Microsoft's hardware bar can upgrade free, and one that does not is not a test-day device. That check takes ten seconds and is the highest-value thing on this page.
SAT Chromebook requirements
This is the one to check tonight. A Chromebook is the most common computer in exactly the households least likely to own a second one, and the personal ones are now categorically out.
If a school-managed Chromebook is your plan, two things have to be true: the school has enabled Verified Mode through its admin console, and you are allowed to take the device off-site to a weekend test center. Confirm both with whoever manages devices at your school. "It's a school Chromebook" is not by itself sufficient.
What else is banned
The prohibited list grew for autumn 2026. Smart glasses are now explicitly named, joining phones, smartwatches, wireless earbuds and anything that can photograph a screen.
The one nuance worth stating: if you are approved for the embedded text-to-speech accommodation, you must bring your own headphones, and they must be wired, non-Bluetooth, and incapable of recording. That rules out essentially every pair of modern earbuds. Buy a cheap wired set specifically for the test rather than discovering the problem at check-in.
The countdown that matters
Most device failures are deadline failures rather than hardware failures. Work backwards from your date.
| Test date | Check device / request a loaner by |
|---|---|
| Sat 12 Sep 2026 | Thu 13 Aug 2026 |
| Sat 3 Oct 2026 | Thu 3 Sep 2026 |
| Sat 7 Nov 2026 | Thu 8 Oct 2026 |
| Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Thu 5 Nov 2026 |
| Sat 6 Mar 2027 | Thu 4 Feb 2027 |
| Sat 1 May 2027 | Thu 1 Apr 2027 |
| Sat 5 Jun 2027 | Thu 6 May 2027 |
Then the shorter fuses:
- Two to three weeks out: install Bluebook, sign in, and run the practice exam end to end on the exact device you will bring. Not a similar one. That machine.
- Test week: open Bluebook and let it update. It ships changes on its own schedule and an update forced on test-day morning is a bad way to start.
- The day before: complete exam setup so the test content is downloaded to the device. This is what protects you if the center's wifi is poor.
- The morning: charge to full and pack the charger anyway. Centers cannot guarantee you a seat near an outlet.
If it dies mid-test
Worth knowing so you do not panic, because panic costs more points than the outage does.
Bluebook saves continuously and your section timer pauses while the app is not running. Raise your hand. Tell the proctor. Plug in, or switch to a backup device and sign in again. Bluebook restores your place with your remaining time intact.
Students lose points here by trying to fix it quietly and quickly instead of flagging it immediately. The clock is not running against you while the app is down. It starts running against you when you rush the ten questions after you get back in.
The five-minute version
- Personal Chromebook? It will not work. Sort an alternative now.
- School Chromebook? Confirm Verified Mode is on and that you may take it off-site.
- Windows 10? Bluebook will not install. Upgrade to 11 24H2, or use another device.
- Mac below macOS 15, or iPad below iPadOS 18? Upgrade, or use something else.
- No device at all? Request a loaner about a month out. That deadline does not flex.
- Approved for text-to-speech? Buy wired, non-recording headphones.
- Leave smart glasses, smartwatches and earbuds at home.
Everything else on test day is covered in the hour-by-hour walkthrough. This page exists because the device is the one thing you cannot fix in the room.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my own Chromebook for the SAT?
No. Personal Chromebooks are not permitted. Only school-managed Chromebooks are allowed, and the school must have Verified Mode enabled through its admin console. This is the rule that catches the most students out, because a personal Chromebook is often the only computer in the house.
What operating system do I need for Bluebook?
ChromeOS 144 or later on a school-managed Chromebook, macOS 15 or later, iPadOS 18 or later, or Windows 11 24H2 or later. Windows 10 is no longer supported and Bluebook will not install on it. Check the current minimums in Bluebook itself before each test, because these floors move.
Can I borrow a laptop for the SAT?
Yes. College Board loans devices to students who do not have one, but the request has to go in well ahead of your test date, roughly a month. Miss that window and there is no same-week fix, so treat the 30-day mark as a hard deadline rather than a suggestion.
Are smart glasses allowed at the SAT?
No. Smart glasses are explicitly prohibited from the autumn 2026 administrations onward, alongside phones, smartwatches and any other wearable. Ordinary prescription glasses are obviously fine.
What headphones can I bring for text-to-speech?
If you are approved for the embedded text-to-speech accommodation you must bring your own headphones, and they must be wired, non-Bluetooth, and incapable of recording. Wireless earbuds will not be accepted, so do not plan on them.
What happens if my laptop dies during the SAT?
Bluebook saves your answers continuously and your section timer pauses while the app is not running. Raise your hand, tell the proctor, plug in or move to a backup device, sign back in, and Bluebook restores your place with your remaining time intact. This is the reason you bring the charger.