For decades, preparing for the SAT has meant thick guidebooks, endless flashcards and, for those who could afford it, private tutors or expensive coaching centres. That landscape is now shifting, as artificial intelligence moves directly into test preparation.

Google has launched free, on-demand SAT practice tests through its AI platform, Google Gemini. The questions used in the tests are reviewed and approved by the Princeton Review, while Gemini provides instant feedback and explanations to students as they work through the material. At present, the service focuses only on the SAT, although Google has hinted that support for other exams may follow.

According to Carol Walport of Google DeepMind, students can ask Gemini to walk them through answers they find confusing. The aim, she said, is to help learners spot their weak areas and take targeted steps to improve.

The move adds fresh pressure on the tutoring industry, a small but highly profitable sector that has long catered to families seeking an edge in college admissions. SAT tutoring, in particular, can command high fees. Some tutors have previously reported charging well over $100 an hour, while essay coaching has proven even more lucrative.

Technology has already chipped away at this market over the years. Practice papers have circulated freely online for a long time, and platforms such as Quizlet and Chegg have made sharing study materials easier than ever.

However, the rise of generative AI presents a deeper disruption, one the industry is still struggling to adjust to.

The impact has already been visible. In 2023, Chegg’s share price fell sharply after the company acknowledged that students were turning to ChatGPT instead of paid services. In the years that followed, Chegg reduced its workforce significantly, citing the growing influence of AI on how students learn.

Not everyone sees this shift as a threat. In an article published in Business Insider, Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, has described AI as a potential breakthrough for education, arguing that it could offer every student access to a high-quality, personalised tutor. His organisation has been actively experimenting with AI-powered learning tools.

Other technology firms are also moving quickly into the education space. Anthropic has introduced education-focused features within its Claude model, while Elon Musk’s xAI has launched Grokipedia, a knowledge platform designed to answer factual queries. OpenAI, meanwhile, rolled out a dedicated Study Mode, underlining how central education has become in the competition between AI developers.

Bill Gates has also highlighted education as one of the most important areas where AI will have an impact. While he has argued that teachers will need to adapt, he has stressed that technology cannot replace the human relationships at the heart of learning. Instead, he believes AI will support and strengthen classroom teaching rather than eliminate it.

As exam season approaches, students and parents weighing their options now face a new reality. With tools like Google Gemini offering free, instant SAT practice, AI has become a serious alternative to traditional tutoring, reshaping how students prepare for one of the most important tests of their academic lives.