The Redesigned SAT Test

The vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, Priscilla Rodriguez stated that “The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant”. She emphasized that: “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible”. The SAT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally internationally in 2023 with the PSAT 10 following in 2024 and in the U.S. in 2024.

What’s changing?

1. The SAT and PSAT will now be digital

The exam can either be taken on a computer at the testing center, or students can bring their laptops from home (although some testing centers/schools may require you to take the test on their computers only).

The College Board will loan students who need access to a computer or laptop to take the SAT. If the internet goes down during the SAT, your work will be saved, and you won’t lose time on the test.

2. Scores will be reported faster

With the new exam, scores will be available just days, not weeks, after students take the exam. It currently takes between two and six weeks to get SAT scores back, and the colleges you chose for your four free score reports get them about ten days after you do. The new change means students can take the SAT later in the year and still have their scores reported before deadlines.

3. The exam will last two hours instead of three

The new digital test will still be scored out of 1600 but will be shorter and should take two hours instead of three. The holding responsible institution did announce that they’re reducing a full hour of the test.

4. There will be more time per question

Currently, students have between 47 seconds and 1 minute and 26 seconds to answer each question, depending on the SAT section, so that these averages will become longer.

5. Reading passages will become shorter

The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a broader range of topics representing the works students read in college. SAT Reading contains six passages, each about 500 to 750 words long. Each passage has about ten questions linked to it.

6. Calculators will be allowed for the entire Math section

Calculators will now be allowed on the entire math section and students and educators should get scores back in days, instead of weeks. No. 2 pencils will, of course, no longer be necessary. With the digital SAT, an onscreen calculator will be available for every math question.

7. Students will have more information on education pathways

The new SAT score reports will provide information on various education pathways. They will connect students to information and resources about local two-year colleges, workforce training programs, and career options.

8. The SAT will be more secure

With the current paper and pencil SAT, if one test form is compromised, it can mean canceling administrations or scores for a whole group of students. Going digital allows every student to receive a unique test form, so it will be practically impossible to share answers, making the exam more secure.

Four ways the SAT will remain the same

With so many exciting changes, some fundamentals about the SAT will remain the same. Here are a few of them:

1. The test will remain on a 1,600 scale.
2. Exams still need to be taken in a testing center, and students cannot take the exam at home.
3. There will be a proctor to administer the test at the exam center.
4. Students taking the SAT Suite will continue to connect to scholarships and the College Board National Recognition Programs.

Will the Digital SAT be Easier?

It is unlikely that the digital version of the SAT will be easier or harder than the traditional paper-based test. The digital and paper-based test versions’ content, format, and scoring are intended to be as similar as possible. The College Board, which administers the SAT, has stated that it is committed to ensuring that the digital test is a valid and reliable measure of college readiness, just like the traditional test.

Source

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/25/the-sat-will-go-fully-onlineand-take-just-two-hours.html

https://newsroom.collegeboard.org/digital-sat-brings-student-friendly-changes-test-experience

https://www.crimsoneducation.org/ca/blog/test-prep/sat-going-digital/