Google Offers Free SAT Practice Exams Powered by Gemini

Google announced free SAT practice exams powered by its Gemini AI at the BETT 2026 education technology conference in London, a move that could reshape the $24 billion test preparation industry by eliminating cost barriers that have long favored wealthy students.

The feature, rolling out globally inside the Gemini app, offers full-length SAT practice tests with instant AI-generated feedback on answers. Students can ask Gemini follow-up questions about any problem they missed, turning a static test into an interactive tutoring session. Google partnered with Princeton Review to ensure the practice questions meet College Board standards.

Free AI Tutoring Meets a $24 Billion Industry

The test prep industry has operated on a simple premise: students who can afford expensive courses and tutors score higher. Kaplan charges up to $2,499 for comprehensive SAT programs. Princeton Review’s flagship course runs $1,499. Private tutors in major cities command $200 to $500 per hour.

Google just made a credible alternative free.

The company’s timing reflects Gemini’s expanding reach beyond consumer chatbots into specialized applications. While GM integrates Gemini into vehicles and enterprises adopt it for productivity, Google sees education as a way to demonstrate the technology’s practical value—and build brand loyalty with the next generation of users.

The SAT feature builds on capabilities Google has developed for AI tutoring tools more broadly. Gemini can explain why an answer is wrong, suggest different approaches to reading comprehension passages, and walk through math problems step by step. Unlike static answer keys, students can have back-and-forth conversations about concepts they don’t understand.

For test prep companies, the competitive threat is existential. Their business model assumes students will pay significant sums for structured content and expert guidance. When an AI can provide personalized explanations at no cost, the value proposition of a $1,500 course becomes harder to justify. Kaplan and Princeton Review will likely emphasize human accountability, scheduled study plans, and the psychological benefits of committed financial investment—but those arguments grow weaker as AI capabilities improve.

The Equity Question Gets Complicated

Education researchers have documented for decades how standardized test scores correlate with family income. Students from households earning over $200,000 annually score an average of 400 points higher on the SAT than those from families earning under $20,000. Access to test prep has been one driver of that gap.

Google’s free offering could narrow the resource disparity. A student in rural Mississippi now has access to the same AI-powered practice tests as a student at a Manhattan prep school. The College Board has offered free practice through Khan Academy since 2015, but Gemini’s conversational interface represents a step toward the personalized attention that expensive tutors provide.

The picture isn’t entirely rosy. Using Gemini effectively requires internet access, a device, and the digital literacy to navigate AI tools productively. It also assumes students will seek out the resource independently—something that advantaged students, with more college-aware families and counselors, may be more likely to do.

There’s also the question of whether free AI tutoring actually helps or simply changes who has advantages. If every student suddenly has access to AI-powered test prep, will score distributions shift upward across the board, leaving relative rankings unchanged? Or will students who learn to use AI tools most effectively—likely those with existing educational advantages—gain the most?

These questions extend beyond SAT prep to Google’s broader AI strategy in education. The company has positioned Gemini as a tool for learning across subjects, not just test preparation. How schools and families integrate these tools will shape whether AI tutoring becomes an equalizer or another dimension of educational inequality.

The SAT itself faces an uncertain future. A growing number of colleges have made standardized tests optional, questioning whether the exams predict college success or simply measure test-taking ability and access to preparation. Google’s free practice exams arrive as the test’s importance to admissions may be declining.

For now, millions of students still take the SAT annually, and score differences still influence admissions decisions at competitive schools. Google has handed them a powerful new tool. Whether it levels the playing field or just raises it depends on who picks it up.