1 Self-guided test preparation programs are relatively inexpensive ways to prepare for the test. 2  Online preparation on the SAT's official website costs $69.95; the SAT's official test guide costs $21.99. 3  Other SAT guides can cost as little as $9.99. Some colleges require applicants to also take SAT subject tests in fields ranging from literature to physics to foreign language. 2  Each of these tests costs an additional $10, or $21 for language tests.