The SAT QAS: How to Use one of the Most Powerful Score-Boosting Tools

Bonus Material: step-by-step guide to using the QAS to raise SAT scores

For people taking the SAT more than once, the Question and Answer Service (QAS) can be an absolutely unbelievable study and prep tool.

However, most students miss out on this powerful chance to raise their scores and don’t use the QAS to its full potential.

In this post, we’ll share the secrets to unlocking the power of the QAS. We’ll learn what information the QAS provides, how and when to order it, and, most crucially, how to use it to improve your SAT scores!

Then, download this handy guide with step-by-step instructions for using the QAS to make sure you’re using the QAS to its full score-boosting potential.

Bonus Material: step-by-step guide to using the QAS to raise SAT scores

Jump to section:

What is the Question and Answer Service (QAS)?
How Do You Order the QAS?
When Is the QAS Offered?
When there’s no QAS Available: Introducing the SAS
How to Use the QAS to Improve your Score
Next steps

What is the Question and Answer Service (QAS)?

Most students take the SAT multiple times, and it’s possible to raise your SAT score substantially with effective study and practice.

Learning from mistakes on previous real SATs is one of the best ways to improve your score for the next test.

Normally, students taking the SAT can expect to receive a detailed score report a couple weeks after their test date. They’ll see how many questions they missed on each section, what scores and subscores they received, and how their score measures up against other test takers.

But, on certain test dates, students actually have the option of ordering a copy of the test itself! Students who do so will be able to review all of the passages, questions, and correct answers from their proctored test. They’ll also receive a copy of their answers.

With the QAS, you’ll know exactly what questions you missed and what the correct answer should have been. This is absolutely one of the best ways to prepare for a retake—especially if you go through the QAS with our Essential SAT QAS Guide or one of our expert tutors!

Unfortunately, you don’t automatically get access to the QAS, and it’s not available for every test.

How do you order the QAS?

Fortunately, this is pretty simple! When signing up for an SAT test date, you’ll also have the option of ordering and paying for the QAS as part of the registration.

If you don’t sign up before the test, you can still order the QAS by going to the “My Score Reports” section of your College Board account. You have up to five months after your test date to order!

The QAS costs $18, regardless of whether you order it before or after the test. If your family can afford it, the fee for the QAS is absolutely worth it.

(If you have a fee waiver for the SAT, you can get the QAS at no extra cost.)

If you signed up for the QAS, you’ll see it as part of your score report. Generally, that means you’ll have access to it about two weeks after your test date.

When is the QAS offered?

In the US, the SAT is offered seven times a year, once each in March, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December.

However, the QAS is offered for only three of the SAT test dates: March, May, and October. That means that you only have the option of ordering the QAS if you test during one of those months.

For those testing with school based accommodations or on a Sunday, only the May QAS is guaranteed. For the March and October test dates, you’ll have to call College Board two weeks before your test to confirm whether it’s offered or not.

Note that if you’re testing digitally at a school or testing center, the QAS is not available regardless of test date. We don’t yet know how the QAS will work once the SAT changes significantly in March 2024 (in 2023 for international students) and moves to digital-only.

If you’re testing internationally, you may not be able to request the QAS. Students testing in Canada can request the QAS only for the March test, while students in Puerto Rico can request the QAS only for the May test.

For more information on special cases and international testing, your best resource is College Board’s Score Verification Services Page.

Below, we’ll share how to unlock the amazing score-boosting potential of the QAS — and what options you have when the QAS isn’t offered.

When there’s no QAS available: introducing the SAS

When the incredibly helpful QAS isn’t offered, the College Board offers the considerably less helpful Student Answer Service (SAS).

The SAS includes a list of the test-taker’s answers, the correct answers, and the difficulty/type for each question.

However, the SAS does not include the questions themselves! As a result, it’s not nearly as useful as the QAS. You can get some use out of the SAS by looking to see what kinds of questions you got wrong, but you won’t be able to see the actual questions.

That said, the SAS can still be useful. An experienced tutor will know how to get actionable insights from a student’s SAS, so reach out to us to find out how to use the SAS effectively.

Ordering the SAS is just like ordering the QAS, and can be done before or after (within 5 months) of your test date. The only difference is that the SAS costs a bit less: $13.50 compared to $18 for the QAS.

Using the QAS to improve your score

It may be tempting to get the QAS and go through it quickly, looking at the correct answers and saying “Oh, I get it!” But, if you seriously want to boost your score for the next test date, there’s a better approach.

The students that get the most benefit out of the QAS (and see the biggest score improvements) take the time to work through every single question they got wrong. Mark which questions you missed, print the test questions, and redo those questions without looking at the correct answer. (We go through each of these steps in our QAS Guide.)

No matter how silly the error might seem, there was a reason for it: you should work through each missed question until you know how to do it, know why you missed it, and know what you need to do to avoid missing it next time.

Remember: if you can’t fully explain the ins and outs of a missed question while at home with your QAS, odds are you’ll miss it again the next time it comes up on the real SAT.

Next steps

Ordered the QAS? Planning to take or retake the SAT?

The QAS is one of the most powerful tools for boosting SAT scores, and a top tutor can help you unlock its score-boosting potential.

Our experienced Ivy-League tutors can help you analyze your mistakes, identify patterns in your thinking, and use the information in your QAS to design a custom prep plan to ensure you’re ready for the next test. All of our tutors are top scorers themselves who know how to use the QAS to boost your next SAT score. Set up a free short SAT consultation today.

Got the SAS instead of the QAS? Don’t worry, it can still be helpful for your SAT progress! Contact us to find out how to make the SAS actually useful.

If you’re not quite ready to sit down with a tutor, check out our free Essential SAT QAS Guide. Using the QAS effectively is one of the most powerful ways to make sure that your next SAT score is higher. This guide walks you through every aspect of using the QAS correctly, including how to categorize and learn from missed questions.

Bonus Material: step-by-step guide to using the QAS to raise SAT scores

Emily

Emily graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.

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