This past weekend, the College Board officially launched the very first Digital SAT (or “dSAT” for short) to students outside the United States and its territories. We’ve known for a while now that the updated test was coming, but as of March 11, 2023, the new dSAT is very real, indeed!
So what IS it? How is it different from the current version of the SAT? How do you even practice for it? Fortunately, keeping up with changes to the test prep landscape is part of my job as an expert in the field, and so I’ll be answering all of these questions and MORE in this blog post!
Table of Contents
What is the Digital SAT?
The Digital SAT is a new college admissions test, created and administered by the College Board, that is starting to take the place of the current, paper version of the SAT. As its name implies, yes, it’s digital, meaning students will take the dSAT on a computer or tablet.
However, this isn’t the same as “going paperless” for your cell phone bill: the dSAT is a completely different test, with a different format, different question types, and a completely different way of testing reading, writing and math.
Can I take the Digital SAT currently?
Right now, in 2023, the Digital SAT is only offered to students OUTSIDE the United States, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands. In fact, if you live outside the US and its territories, you no longer have the option to take the old, paper version of the SAT. The dSAT has phased it out for this demographic.
Starting in March 2024, the Digital SAT will replace the current SAT for students INSIDE the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
US and US territory students will get a taste of the dSAT a few months earlier, in Fall of 2023, when the Digital PSAT will replace the current PSAT.
Test dates for the dSAT
The Digital SAT is offered on the same 2023 test dates as the current SAT:
March 11, 2023
May 6, 2023
June 3, 2023
August 26, 2023
October 7, 2023
November 4, 2023
December 2, 2023
Again, the Digital SAT is being offered in 2023 only OUTSIDE the US and its territories. If you are INSIDE the US/territories, you’d be looking at these estimated 2024 dSAT Test Dates, which I’ve projected according to past test dates (to be firmed up later in an official College Board announcement):
March 9, 2024
May 4, 2024
June 1, 2024
August 24, 2024
October 5, 2024
November 2, 2024
December 7, 2024
How is the new, Digital SAT administered?
Students will take the Digital SAT at a school or official testing center on a computer, laptop or tablet. Specifically, the College Board states that you can use “Mac and Windows devices, iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks.”
Students can bring their own device for the test, or request the College Board provide a device. In the latter case, however, you need to submit your request at least 30 days prior to test day.
If you use your own device, then you will need to have installed the Bluebook Testing App BEFORE test day.
What’s cool about Bluebook Testing App is that students can:
Mark a question for review (so they can go back to it),
Make highlights or notes on any test question, and
Keep time with the built-in timer.
What is tested on the Digital SAT?
The same Reading, Writing, and Math as before!
Reading:
Information and Ideas (i.e. comprehension of main ideas and details, command of evidence, inference, infographics) (~26%)
Craft and Structure (i.e. words and phrases in context, text structure and purpose, making connections between related texts) (~28%)
Writing:
Standard English Conventions (grammar) (~26%)
Expression of Ideas (rhetorical strategies) (~20%)
Math:
Algebra (~35%)
Advanced Math (~35%)
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis (~15%)
Geometry and Trigonometry (~15%)
What does “Computer Adaptive” mean?
The Digital SAT is “Computer Adaptive,” so the questions you are asked are dependent on how well you performed on previous questions.
Specifically, on the Digital SAT, each section is split into two equal-length “modules.” The first module is a mix of easy, medium and hard questions to assess your expertise/skill in the subject matter. Depending on how well you perform on that first module, the computer will choose to give you a second module of either easier or harder questions.
What is the format of the Digital SAT?
1. Reading and Writing section: 54 Questions in 64 Minutes
This section is broken up into two Modules:
Module 1: 27 Questions in 32 Minutes; mix of Easy/Medium/Hard questions
Module 2: 27 Questions in 32 Minutes; adaptive, based on your performance in Module 1
2. Math section: 44 Questions in 70 Minutes; 33 Multiple-Choice + 11 Grid-In Questions
This section is also divided into two Modules:
Module 1: 22 Questions in 35 Minutes; mix of Easy/Medium/Hard questions
Module 2: 22 Questions in 35 Minutes; adaptive, based on your performance in Module 1
Total Time: 2 Hours 14 Minutes
How is the Digital SAT different from the old SAT?
The Digital SAT is administered on a computer/tablet, not on paper with pencil.
Testing is more secure, because students testing together are not given the exact same sections/questions. Instead, they are given comparable test questions that are slightly different and in a different order.
The dSAT is computer adaptive.
The Digital SAT is a full hour shorter than the paper SAT with breaks: 2 Hours 14 Minutes, vs. 3 Hours 15 Minutes.
There is more time per question on the Digital SAT than there is on the paper SAT: you have roughly 82 seconds per question vs 70 seconds per question!
You can find out your Digital SAT score only a few days after taking the dSAT, as opposed to waiting 2-3 weeks.
On the dSAT, Reading and Writing are tested together within the same test section, not as separate sections, as they are on the paper SAT.
There are no long Reading passages! Reading passages (or passage pairs) are 1-2 paragraphs max and are followed by a single question, not by 10-11 questions.
In fact, ALL questions in the Reading and Writing section are “discrete”—in other words, no question has anything to do with any other question. If you don’t understand the text/question of #13, it’ll have no bearing on your ability to understand #14 and answer it correctly.
You can use your calculator on ALL Math questions…there’s no “No Calculator” section anymore! In fact, there’s a graphing calculator pre-built into the testing app! (You can also bring your own approved calculator if you want.)
The Digital SAT no longer has separate multiple choice and grid-in portions of the Math sections. Instead, the “Grid-in” (i.e. "self-produced") Math questions are mixed up with the multiple-choice Math questions.
The Math questions are much less wordy than those on the paper SAT!
What will stay the SAME between the paper SAT and the Digital SAT?
There’s still no guessing penalty.
The score is still out of 1600.
Testing will still take place at schools and testing centers and utilize proctors. At-home testing will still not be an option.
If you require extended time and/or accommodations, you can still get them for the dSAT, like you would have for the paper SAT.
The dSAT still evaluates your skills in the same Reading, Writing and Math content as it did on the paper SAT.
There are still self-produced (“Grid-in”) Math questions.
There’s still a reference table at the beginning of the Math section for you to use.
There’s no essay on the dSAT, just like there’s been no essay on the paper SAT since 2021.
How to register for the Digital SAT
Students OUTSIDE the US/territories can register right here, on the College Board’s website!
Practice tests for the dSAT
Yes, they exist already—eight of them, in fact!—and you can find them here:
Currently, the College Board has issued FOUR official Computer-Adaptive Digital SAT practice tests. You will need to download the Bluebook Testing App to your device before you try them out.
There are also FOUR official Full-Length Linear (i.e. NONadaptive) PAPER Digital SAT practice tests.
The latter are helpful in that they offer you more test questions to try out. However, the number of questions and timing are different than they would be on the real thing. (Since these paper practice tests are NOT computer adaptive, these tests can’t determine if you should be given “easier” or “harder” second modules in each section. Thus, they just have to ask you more questions to determine your skill level.)
Should YOU take the Digital SAT?
This, my friend, is a complicated topic. I started helping students and parents answer this question in my recent blog post about choosing among the SAT, ACT and dSAT.
In general, I don’t advise my private SAT and ACT clients to be guinea pigs for a completely new test—one with too few resources, practice tests, or scoring rubrics to guide us. For instance, we have yet to see how the computer adaptive technology works in practice…or how your number of correct and incorrect questions will assign you a score!
That said, there might be a few compelling reasons you’re better off being a “guinea pig” for the Digital SAT than going with the oldschool SAT or ACT:
If you are OUTSIDE the US/territories, err on the side of taking the ACT…unless you absolutely struggle with timing and/or you can’t get your extended time/accommodations from the ACT, but you CAN with the College Board.
If you are INSIDE the US/territories and are in the Class of 2025, then aim to either take the current SAT during Sophomore year Spring / Summer / Junior year Fall OR take the ACT. If you simply CANNOT move up your Testing Timeline AND you REALLY struggle with timing, only then would you consider taking the Digital SAT instead.
If you are in the Class of 2026 and beyond, you are too early to start your test prep! Check back in 2024 and see what we’ve learned about this new test.
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I know this is a lot to process, but CONGRATS! You made it through! And as always, if you need more personalized help with choosing the correct test for your particular situation, strengths and needs, consider working with me one-on-one.
