Digital SAT: The exam will soon be taken digitally

The SAT will soon be computerized. According to a College Board announcement, its trademark exam will soon be entirely digital.

The first set of digital SATs will be available in time for the March 2023 international examinations, according to the College Board (and beyond). The digital SAT promises to be much more secure than paper-based exams, which is the underlying reason for the shift, according to the College Board, which has experienced significant issues with worldwide exam security, including test leaks, cheating scandals, score delays, and cancelled scores.

There won’t be a paper exam alternative anywhere after the Fall 2023 Digital PSATs, March 2024 US Digital SATs, and March 2024 School-Day SATs (also digital), with the exception of students with accommodations who will still have the option of paper-based testing.

SAT test takers will administer the exam on a computer starting in spring 2024 across America and spring 2023 for overseas students. The test will still measure the same topics, be graded on a scale of 1600, and be given in testing facilities or classrooms, according to the College Board. The new digital test, however, will be adaptable, reduced from three to two hours, and allow pupils to take it on a laptop or tablet, even their own devices.

Not much (in the US) for current seniors, juniors, or sophomores. The high school class of 2025 will be the first to take the new SAT as it won’t be released until spring 2024. The National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test® for the Class of 2025 will be the first digital PSAT®, according to the College Board, and will be made available in autumn 2023. Juniors and sophomores in the US who are now preparing for the college application process will take the SAT under the current administration.

You may be aware that many schools and institutions no longer require students to take tests as a result of COVID. In December 2021, Harvard made headlines by announcing that they would be extending their test-optional policy for an additional four years. Only the length of time was unusual about Harvard’s announcement.

In November 2021, Stanford also disclosed an extension of its policy of one year. Around the same time, the California State University and University of California systems both declared a permanent test-free policy. Additionally, the Iowa Board of Regents recently declared that tests will no longer be required at any of Iowa’s three state colleges. Additionally, even though the test-optional policy may continue to be expanded, the trajectory doesn’t appear to be following a straight line.

For fall 2021 admissions, 87% of schools were test-optional, but that figure fell to 78% for fall 2022 admissions, according to The Princeton Review Summer 2021 College Administrator Survey. It’s crucial to keep in mind that test-optional does not equate to test-blind. In reality, every one of the 300 institutions throughout the country that we questioned stated that they would still take applicants’ standardized test scores into account if they were presented.

Here is what we currently know about the new testing structure and procedures because, as always, it is our responsibility at The Princeton Review to provide you with the most recent information as it becomes available.

Computer adaptive testing will be used for the SAT exam.
In essence, each student will receive a personalized SAT based on their performance. The second section’s questions will become more difficult as they perform better in the first, but they will also be worth more points overall. (There is still no penalty for guessing, but it is in your best interest to answer that first section as exactly as you can in order to optimize your chances on the second.)

The exam will last less time.
We are aware that testing fatigue exists and that it is challenging to concentrate for three hours. Your wishes have been granted, since the new test will last approximately two hours. The lengthy preamble and exam setup, which are presently completed by an in-person SAT monitor, will take up less time overall. The redesigned exam will also have shorter reading portions and more straightforward questions.

The usage of calculators is extended, and you are welcome to bring your own.
In actuality, the test’s “no calculator” section is being eliminated. And every pupil will have access to a graphic calculator that is already built in (though they can still bring their own).

The use of computers is offered.
If you don’t have a computer of your own, don’t worry. On test days, students will have the option of using the devices provided at the testing site or bringing their own laptops or tablets.

On our website and on our youtube channel, we will post updates when new information becomes available.

A preview of the online SAT reading section

The practice exam starts with a Reading question after you click through a number of options and instructions. The question is on the right of the screen, and the passage is on the left. The black arrows at the top of the passage can be used to make the passage occupy the entire screen. When these arrows are clicked, a hamburger menu with choices for highlighting the text appears.

To go on to the following question after selecting an answer, click the green arrow in the top left corner. The “Store” button is located in the top left corner of the screen and can be used at any moment to save your responses. The test then moves on to the Writing and Language section after the four questions in this sample Reading segment have been answered.

A preview of the digital SAT writing and language section
The passage is on the left and the questions are on the right in the Writing and Language portion, same as the Reading section. Each question in the text has a corresponding number, just like on the paper test. There is a hamburger menu with options for underlining the text and black arrows to enlarge or reduce the size of the sentence, just like in the Reading section.

The math component of the online SAT practice exams comes next.

Preview of the digital SAT math section
A set of guidelines, which includes a formula chart, is provided before the Math section. This chart of formulas looks to be the identical one that was provided with the paper SAT. You are allowed to use a calculator for the full Math part on the digital test (unlike the paper test).

You click “Next” to go to the math problems after reading the instructions. The format of the digital SAT math problems is identical to that of Olive Book’s Math portion if you have taken that course before.

How to Use the Digital Test
The testing software has tools that let you mark questions, highlight text, and even strikethrough responses.

As previously indicated, there is an option to highlight text in the areas for reading, writing, and language. Additionally, you can open up the instructions, strike through an answer, flag a question, and highlight information in every section.

You can view all of the questions by clicking “Questions” in the top left corner if you wish to go back to an earlier one.

The best course of action right now is to follow College Board news regarding the SAT test since it won’t be available in the US until 2024. In order to prepare for the SAT exam, paper tests are still the norm and an essential practice tool. However, there are many options online for studying with an online SAT prep program, making it simple to become acquainted to a digital SAT format. including Apostrophe Educational Center