The SAT is Going Online!

Beginning in 1926, the SAT has been a cornerstone of the college application. Even as technology began to dominate every aspect of education, standardized testing still held true to its roots. However, the SAT’s value in an application is known to be diminishing as schools become test-optional, even after the pandemic. In response, College Board, the company that administers the SAT, announced the switch to a digital SAT to increase accessibility and reinstate value as more students can take the test. Following the 2023 switch to digital PSATs, all SATs will be administered digitally in 2024.

Whereas the old version of the SAT consisted of four sections over the course of three hours, the new digital SAT includes two sections (Reading and Writing, Math) over two hours with one break in between the sections. The Reading and Writing section will no longer be long passages with nine to eleven questions per passage but many short excerpts with only one question. The Math section will now always have a calculator allowed, with the Desmos online graphing calculator being provided. Each section will have two modules, the first having a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. If students reach a certain threshold on the first module, they get sent to a harder module; not meeting the threshold will give them an easier module two. The structural changes and new question types define a complete overhaul to SAT, beyond just taking it on the computer.

Why the switch? According to the College Board, the pandemic has caused this transition. Students around the world have incorporated more and more technology into their learning experience and environment. College Board stated the SAT should follow this trend and not be the exception. A digital test allows for much more flexibility regarding when, where, and how often the SAT is taken.

The 2023 PSAT was many students' first experience with the new testing style. They were exposed to new question types and adaptivity. The binary nature of the modules gave some anxiety to students during the first digital PSAT, as Ezra Beidler-Shenk (11-4) recalled, “After finishing the first module for reading, I was a little in my head on which module I was on, there's really no way to tell.” The novelty of the exam likely contributes to concerns like these, as some students worry about the lack of information and detailed study and test-taking advice in comparison to the paper test. However, international trials have shown scores to be generally the same.

Significant benefits of the SAT going digital include making cheating much harder and the testing day shorter overall. With the paper test, if one form is compromised, large groups of students can have their scores canceled; however, the online test gives every student a unique test form. Further, the overall test day experience will be shorter since most pre-administration activities, such as downloading the exam application and completing the student questionnaire, will occur before test day. Also, testing staff won’t have to spend time handing out, collecting, or sorting test materials. Ciaran Yudiono (11-2) took the digital SAT in Indonesia (digital SAT has been open to international students for the past year) this past summer and noted, “The testing experience itself felt easier; it took way less time, and I could even use my own laptop.” 

The transition to the digital SAT marks a shift into a technology-based learning environment. Compared to the paper test, one might value its concise questions and easy testing experience or be put off by its unfamiliarity.  Students can refer to College Board's digital SAT page for detailed information.