The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) has been distributed to high school students to test their college readiness since 1926. While the test has undoubtedly evolved quite a bit since the first exam, it’s preparing for its biggest update yet.
In spring 2024, the SAT will go digital in the United States. It’s pre-test,
the PSAT, will be digital for students this fall. In addition to going digital, the SAT will introduce a number of other changes as well.
The Digital SAT
While the
Class of 2024 will still be taking the paper SAT, the
Class of 2025 – or rising juniors – will only be offered the digital SAT. Students will be able to take the test in the spring of 2024 on tablets or laptops.
According to
CollegeBoard, students will download a custom-build digital app in preparation of the exam. Within the app, students will receive different tests, meaning that no one can cheat off another student on test day.
CollegeBoard will introduce a digital PSAT this fall as well. is to give high school sophomores the digital prep they need, as they will only be offered a digital version of the SAT.
Digital SAT Time
The current SAT takes 180 minutes to complete (230 minutes with the optional essay). Students will find that the digital SAT takes only two hours to complete.
They will also
save time on test day as there will be no need to pass out and collect materials, and the testing app will have been downloaded in advance of test day.
Students that do not have their own device will be able to borrow one for test day. Requests to borrow a device can be made to CollegeBoard.
Introducing Adaptive Testing
The digital SAT will also introduce adaptive testing, meaning the test will change as students provide answers to questions. This adaptive type testing guarantees a shorter test day because of the intuitive technology used.
CollegeBoard explains it like this: “[the digital SAT] is divided into two parts called modules. Students answer a set of questions in the first module before moving on to the next. The questions that students are given in the second module depend on how they performed on the first module. Students will be able to practice with the new digital adaptive format starting this fall.”
Ultimately, the questions will be tailored to meet each student’s needs, which provides a
more accurate measurement of abilities and college readiness.
Digital SAT Tools
In addition to adaptive testing, the digital SAT will offer students a variety of tools to help them complete the exam:
Flagging Questions.
Students will be able to flag questions that they can’t answer in the moment and would like to come back to at the end of the section.
Countdown Clock.
Within the digital SAT, students will have the option to view a countdown clock for each section. The countdown clock will notify students when they’re running out of time.
Built-In Calculator.
In the past, students have only been allowed to use a calculator on a small portion of the test. Now, they can use a built-in graphing calculator on all math components – or students can bring their own calculator.
Reference Sheet.
Finally, test-takers will receive a reference sheet that accompanies each math question. It will provide common formulas.
Digital SAT Practice Test
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CollegeBoard runs its
practice SAT through Khan Academy, including prep for the digital SAT. Like the real test, these practice tests will also be adaptive, providing students with an accurate experience of their actual test day.
Colleges Still Test Optional
The college admissions process is still experiencing significant impacts from the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time of the pandemic,
many colleges and universities made test scores optional as they determined admissions decisions because students were unable to access testing centers.
Though a few colleges had become test-optional in the years before the pandemic, the inaccessibility of testing centers during 2020 and 2021 accelerated the push for more schools to consider test scores less. Some experts believe that test scores are discriminatory in nature, favoring those students who have time and financial resources to invest in test preparation versus those students that do not.
FairTest.org reports that 80+ colleges are test free and 1,800 colleges are test optional. This list includes
all eight Ivy League schools.
Scholarships with SAT and ACT Requirements
Though many colleges and universities are test -optional, test scores may still be used to determine scholarship eligibility. For instance, a great test score may factor positively toward the
merit scholarship package that you receive with your admission decision.
Merit scholarships are determined by your GPA, extracurricular and volunteer activities, as well as other factors that make you a standout student. Ultimately, colleges utilize merit scholarships to woo you to their institution, so it may be beneficial to take the SAT or ACT.
Additionally, there are
private scholarships that take into account SAT and ACT test scores. As you strategize on whether to take standardized tests, do some research to learn how taking – or not taking – these exams could impact your admissions decisions and scholarship changes.
