Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the news from last week that the SAT is undergoing an extreme makeover over the next couple years. Specifically, by 2024, the SAT will become completely digital!
If this development makes you feel a bit nervous, I get it: when there’s change of any variety in the college admissions testing landscape—or in the college application process in general—students and parents tend to…get stressed. I’ve seen it again and again over the course of my dozen years’ experience dramatically raising students’ SAT and ACT test scores. That’s why THIS post is dedicated to breaking down exactly what’s changing, what’s NOT, and whether these changes even apply to YOU at all!
Why is the SAT Changing for the class of 2024 and 2025?
The College Board, the company that owns and operates the SAT, was founded *in 1899*, if you can believe it! And it’s overseen many SAT redesigns in those 120+ years. In our current century alone, the SAT changed formats drastically in 2005 (going from 1600 to 2400 points and adding an entire Writing section) and again in 2016 (going BACK to 1600 points, inventing “Evidence Questions” in the Reading section, and introducing a No-Calculator Math section).
It makes sense: as the college landscape evolves, the College Board simply has to reinvent itself to keep pace with the changing times and stay relevant. And boy, did times change during the pandemic! The closure of test sites and test dates in 2020 really did highlight disparities of test accessibility, and made it urgently important to take EVERYTHING—not just our meetings and tutoring sessions—digital. And seeing as every decade(-ish) sees another big redesign, we were just about due for one anyways.
How Will the Digital SAT Be Different from the Current SAT?
Digital Format: Well, yes, obviously. This means NO bubbling in answers, NO #2 pencils, and NO paper! Instead, students will be able to take the Digital SAT from a laptop or tablet. The new format also comes with a couple perks: you’ll be given a Countdown Timer (so you know exactly how much time you have left in a section) as well as the ability to Flag Questions for later.
Shorter Test: The Digital SAT will last two hours instead of the current three hours (for a regular time test taker). This is fantastic news if you’re someone who struggles to stay focused for longer periods of time!
Get Scores Faster: With the new test, students should get their scores back in a matter of DAYS, as opposed to a few weeks. This helps you make more informed decisions about whether you should continue prepping for another test sitting…or whether you don’t need to.
Calculators Allowed: Students on the new Digital SAT will be able to use a calculator for ALL Math questions, because there will no longer be a No-Calculator Math section!
Shorter Reading Passages: The Reading passages on the new Digital SAT will be considerably shorter than today’s passages. While the College Board has vowed that the new type of passage will be no less challenging, their shorter length will help students who have trouble concentrating to remain focused. In addition, these quick reading passages will each be followed by a SINGLE QUESTION…instead of the 10-11 questions per long passage that characterize the current form of the test.
More Secure: Because all SAT questions will be accessed from a laptop or tablet online, the College Board is able to give each student a unique version of the test! What that likely means is that you and the student next to you will have the same questions, but maybe in a different order. Thus, the College Board is in essence making the Digital SAT more cheat- and hack-proof.
What’s Staying the Same about the SAT?
The new Digital SAT will be scored out of 1600 points, just as it is now.
The new Digital SAT will still be administered at schools and test centers.
The new Digital SAT will continue to test students on content and skills they are learning in high school—specifically Reading, Grammar and Math.
Accommodations—like extended time or breaks or a reader—will still be available to students who require them, just as they are now.
The College Board will continue to offer free SAT practice (through Khan Academy) and access to free SAT practice tests before the new Digital SAT rolls out.
When Will the SAT Go Digital?
Depending on where you live and will be taking the SAT, the timing of the Digital SAT rollout will vary. Here’s what the College Board says so far about their timeline:
March 2023: The Digital SAT will be available starting March 2023 for International (non-U.S.) students ONLY.
Fall 2023: The PSAT will go digital in Fall 2023 for ALL students (U.S. and International).
March 2024: The Digital SAT will be available starting March 2024 for U.S. students.
Thus, by March 2024, all SATs and PSATs will be digital for all students.
What does the Digital SAT mean for U.S. Students?
If you’re a high schooler in the United States, take a moment and breathe before you chuck your current SAT test prep books. Because depending on your graduation year, this huge change might not affect you at all!
If you’re a current Junior (class of 2023) or Sophomore (class of 2024) in the U.S., you’ll still be taking the current paper version of the SAT. You don’t have to change a thing! Keep doing what you’re doing.
If you’re a current Freshman (class of 2025) in the U.S., you have a choice. If you are advanced in your math classes and seem like you’ll be one of those “Hot Shot Juniors” I mentioned in my Testing Timeline post and in my post about when to take your first SAT, you’ll probably want to be finished with the SAT by fall of your Junior year. Thus, you’d be taking the current paper version of the SAT. If you’re NOT going to be a “Hot Shot Junior,” you’ll likely take your first SAT test sitting in the Spring of your Junior year. Thus, you’d be taking the new Digital SAT.
If you’re in the class of 2026 and younger, you’ll be taking the Digital SAT when the time comes…which is a loooong time from now!
How Will the Digital SAT Impact International Test-Takers?
Because the Digital SAT will be available an entire year earlier for International students than it will be for domestic students, different class years will be affected differently:
If you’re a current Junior (class of 2023) outside the U.S., you’ll still be taking the current paper version of the SAT. You don’t have to change a thing! Keep doing what you’re doing.
If you’re a current Sophomore (class of 2024) outside the U.S., you have a choice. If you are advanced in your math classes and seem like you’re one of those “Hot Shot Sophomores” I mentioned in my Testing Timeline post and in my post about when to take your first SAT, you’ll probably want to be finished with the SAT by fall of your Junior year. Thus, you’d be taking the current paper version of the SAT. If you’re NOT going to be a “Hot Shot Junior” next year, however, you’ll likely take your first SAT test sitting in the Spring of your Junior year. Thus, you’d be taking the new Digital SAT.
If you’re in the class of 2025 (a current Freshman) or younger, you’ll be taking the Digital SAT when the time comes…which is a loooong time from now!
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So THAT, my friends, is the long and short of what we know so far about the SAT’s coming redesign…and more importantly, about the question of whether it even affects YOU at all!
I understand that keeping up to date of the details and technicalities of all these constant changes is daunting. That’s why, if you find yourself in need of someone to help your son or daughter prep for the tests necessary to get into his or her dream college, you can find me right here.
