SAT and PSAT Changes (GOING DIGITAL!)
CAT Computer Adaptive Test
BASIC FORMAT CHANGES
The shift to digital will fundamentally change how College Board administers the test. Here are some basic, yet significant, format changes that students will need to prepare for:
The shift to digital will fundamentally change how College Board administers the test. Here are some basic, yet significant, format changes that students will need to prepare for:
- The SAT test will last approximately two hours, which reduces overall testing time by about an hour.
- The new digital format will be adaptive, meaning it will vary from student to student.
- The new digital format will consist of two modules of varying difficulty. After the first module, one of two potential second-stage modules will be administered. The difficulty of module 2 is dependent on module 1 performance.
- On the digital version, questions that test similar skills and knowledge are grouped together and arranged from easiest to hardest.
ENGLISH and READING CHANGES TO THE SAT/PSAT
The most significant changes to the new digital version of the tests will be within the reading and writing sections. College Board confirmed that this move to a digital format will change some aspects regarding the content of the test, though the new digital test will continue to evaluate the same core skills of reading comprehension, making inferences, evaluating informational graphics, editing for grammar, and editing text to achieve a rhetorical purpose.
Here are some key differences on the reading/writing sections:
The most significant changes to the new digital version of the tests will be within the reading and writing sections. College Board confirmed that this move to a digital format will change some aspects regarding the content of the test, though the new digital test will continue to evaluate the same core skills of reading comprehension, making inferences, evaluating informational graphics, editing for grammar, and editing text to achieve a rhetorical purpose.
Here are some key differences on the reading/writing sections:
- The digital version of these tests will feature more direct questions and short excerpts instead of full-length reading passages: 25-150 words per passage compared to 350-750 words per passage on the current version, with one question per “passage.”
- Average time per question on the new digital format is 1.19 minutes compared to 1.25 minutes on the current version.
- On the reading section, there will be no more line references on the new digital version. Instead, portions of text are underlined.
- On the reading section of the digital version, “Craft & Structure” makes up 28% of the questions, with “Information and Ideas” accounting for 26% of the questions.
- On the writing section of the new digital test, “Standard English Conventions” accounts for 26% of the questions (compared to 21% on the current version), and “Expression of Ideas” 20% (compared to 25% on the current version).
MATH CHANGES TO THE SAT/PSAT
College Board has also announced the following changes to the math sections when it shifts to the digital format:
College Board has also announced the following changes to the math sections when it shifts to the digital format:
- Students will be allowed to use calculators on every math question of the new digital test. Students can use their own calculator or use the calculator built into the exam application.
- Average time per question is 1.6 minutes on the new digital format, compared to 1.25 minutes (no calculator) and 1.45 minutes (with calculator) on the current version.
- The new digital test will contain shorter word problems—generally 50 words or less.
- “Grid-ins” are now called “free response.”
- There appears to be a slight increase in the number of more difficult math questions, but the same four concepts are tested: Algebra I and II, geometry, and trigonometry.
Digital SAT Brings Student-Friendly Changes to Test Experience83% of Students Say They Want Option to Submit Scores in College Applications
COLLEGE BOARD
New York — College Board announced today that the SAT® Suite of Assessments will be delivered digitally. In November 2021, College Board piloted the digital SAT in the U.S. and internationally; 80% of students responded that they found it to be less stressful and 100% of educators reported having a positive experience.
While the transition to digital will bring a number of student- and educator-friendly changes, many important features of the SAT Suite (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, PSAT™ 8/9) will stay the same. The SAT Suite will continue to measure the knowledge and skills that students are learning in high school and that matter most for college and career readiness. The SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale, and educators and students can continue to track growth across the SAT Suite of Assessments over time. The assessments will continue to be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present—not at home. Students will still have access to free practice resources on Khan Academy. And students taking the SAT Suite will continue to connect to scholarships and the College Board National Recognition Programs.
What’s Changing
“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board. “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. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”
Among the changes: the digital SAT will be shorter—about two hours instead of three for the current SAT, with more time per question. The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college. Calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section. Students and educators will get scores back in days, instead of weeks. And, to reflect the range of paths that students take after high school, digital SAT Suite score reports will also connect students to information and resources about local two-year college, workforce training programs, and career options.
With the transition to digital tests, College Board is working to address inequities in access to technology. Students will be able to use their own device (laptop or tablet) or a school issued device. If students don’t have a device to use, College Board will provide one for use on test day. If a student loses connectivity or power, the digital SAT has been designed to ensure they won’t lose their work or time while they reconnect.
The changes will also make the SAT more secure. With the current paper and pencil SAT, if one test form is compromised it can mean canceling administrations or canceling 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.
The SAT will be delivered digitally internationally beginning in 2023 and in the U.S. in 2024. The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally in 2023 with the PSAT 10 following in 2024. More information about the changes can be found at SAT.org/digital.
Feedback from Fall Pilots: Students Say It’s Easier to Take; Educators Say It’s Easier to Administer
Students who participated in the November global pilot of the digital SAT said the test experience was less stressful than the current paper and pencil test.
“It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be,” said Natalia Cossio, an 11th grade student from Fairfax County, VA who participated in the digital pilot. “The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil."
In the same pilot, every test proctor who participated responded that the experience administering the digital SAT was the same or better than administering the current paper-and-pencil test. Educators will no longer have to deal with packing, sorting, or shipping test materials. And with changes that make the SAT shorter and easier to administer, states, districts, and schools will have more options for when, where, and how often they administer the SAT—rather than adhering to a fixed schedule. These improvements are especially important because students from all backgrounds increasingly are taking the SAT during the school day. In the class of 2021, 62% of students who took the SAT took it for free in their school on a weekday. Independent research shows that universal school day testing leads to higher college-going rates for low-income students.
“It’s encouraging to see the positive feedback from students and educators who participated in the pilots for the digital SAT. The changes to the test are timely and clearly centered around improving the student experience," said Ronné Turner, Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid at Washington University in St. Louis. “I’m pleased that the greater flexibility in administering the test will expand access to SAT School Day, which research shows increases college-going rates for low-income students.”
An Option for Students to Show Their Strengths
The SAT continues to play a vital role in a holistic admissions process and continues to connect students to postsecondary and scholarship opportunities.
When nearly every college went test optional during the pandemic, millions of students still took the SAT. That trend has continued with the high school class of 2022. Most students want to take the SAT, find out how they did, and then decide if they want to submit their scores to colleges. When surveyed, 83% of students said they want the option to submit test scores to colleges. This finding remains consistent whether or not students have taken the SAT and across race/ethnicity and parents’ level of education.
“In a largely test-optional world, the SAT is a lower-stakes test in college admissions. Submitting a score is optional for every type of college, and we want the SAT to be the best possible option for students. The SAT allows every student—regardless of where they go to high school—to be seen and to access opportunities that will shape their lives and careers,” Rodriguez said. “I am one of those students. I’m a first-generation American, the child of immigrants who came to the U.S. with limited financial resources, and I know how the SAT Suite of Assessments opened doors to colleges, scholarships, and educational opportunities that I otherwise never would have known about or had access to. We want to keep those same doors of opportunity open for all students.”
When viewed within the context of where a student lives and learns, test scores can confirm a student’s grades or demonstrate their strengths beyond what their high school grades may show. In the class of 2020, nearly 1.7 million U.S. students had SAT scores that confirmed or exceeded their high school GPA. That means that their SAT scores were a point of strength on their college applications. Among those students, more than 300,000 were from small towns and rural communities; 600,000 were first-generation college goers; and 700,000 were Black or Latino.
The SAT is an objective measure that is available to students at a time when:
COLLEGE BOARD
New York — College Board announced today that the SAT® Suite of Assessments will be delivered digitally. In November 2021, College Board piloted the digital SAT in the U.S. and internationally; 80% of students responded that they found it to be less stressful and 100% of educators reported having a positive experience.
While the transition to digital will bring a number of student- and educator-friendly changes, many important features of the SAT Suite (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, PSAT™ 8/9) will stay the same. The SAT Suite will continue to measure the knowledge and skills that students are learning in high school and that matter most for college and career readiness. The SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale, and educators and students can continue to track growth across the SAT Suite of Assessments over time. The assessments will continue to be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present—not at home. Students will still have access to free practice resources on Khan Academy. And students taking the SAT Suite will continue to connect to scholarships and the College Board National Recognition Programs.
What’s Changing
“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board. “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. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”
Among the changes: the digital SAT will be shorter—about two hours instead of three for the current SAT, with more time per question. The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college. Calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section. Students and educators will get scores back in days, instead of weeks. And, to reflect the range of paths that students take after high school, digital SAT Suite score reports will also connect students to information and resources about local two-year college, workforce training programs, and career options.
With the transition to digital tests, College Board is working to address inequities in access to technology. Students will be able to use their own device (laptop or tablet) or a school issued device. If students don’t have a device to use, College Board will provide one for use on test day. If a student loses connectivity or power, the digital SAT has been designed to ensure they won’t lose their work or time while they reconnect.
The changes will also make the SAT more secure. With the current paper and pencil SAT, if one test form is compromised it can mean canceling administrations or canceling 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.
The SAT will be delivered digitally internationally beginning in 2023 and in the U.S. in 2024. The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally in 2023 with the PSAT 10 following in 2024. More information about the changes can be found at SAT.org/digital.
Feedback from Fall Pilots: Students Say It’s Easier to Take; Educators Say It’s Easier to Administer
Students who participated in the November global pilot of the digital SAT said the test experience was less stressful than the current paper and pencil test.
“It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be,” said Natalia Cossio, an 11th grade student from Fairfax County, VA who participated in the digital pilot. “The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil."
In the same pilot, every test proctor who participated responded that the experience administering the digital SAT was the same or better than administering the current paper-and-pencil test. Educators will no longer have to deal with packing, sorting, or shipping test materials. And with changes that make the SAT shorter and easier to administer, states, districts, and schools will have more options for when, where, and how often they administer the SAT—rather than adhering to a fixed schedule. These improvements are especially important because students from all backgrounds increasingly are taking the SAT during the school day. In the class of 2021, 62% of students who took the SAT took it for free in their school on a weekday. Independent research shows that universal school day testing leads to higher college-going rates for low-income students.
“It’s encouraging to see the positive feedback from students and educators who participated in the pilots for the digital SAT. The changes to the test are timely and clearly centered around improving the student experience," said Ronné Turner, Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid at Washington University in St. Louis. “I’m pleased that the greater flexibility in administering the test will expand access to SAT School Day, which research shows increases college-going rates for low-income students.”
An Option for Students to Show Their Strengths
The SAT continues to play a vital role in a holistic admissions process and continues to connect students to postsecondary and scholarship opportunities.
When nearly every college went test optional during the pandemic, millions of students still took the SAT. That trend has continued with the high school class of 2022. Most students want to take the SAT, find out how they did, and then decide if they want to submit their scores to colleges. When surveyed, 83% of students said they want the option to submit test scores to colleges. This finding remains consistent whether or not students have taken the SAT and across race/ethnicity and parents’ level of education.
“In a largely test-optional world, the SAT is a lower-stakes test in college admissions. Submitting a score is optional for every type of college, and we want the SAT to be the best possible option for students. The SAT allows every student—regardless of where they go to high school—to be seen and to access opportunities that will shape their lives and careers,” Rodriguez said. “I am one of those students. I’m a first-generation American, the child of immigrants who came to the U.S. with limited financial resources, and I know how the SAT Suite of Assessments opened doors to colleges, scholarships, and educational opportunities that I otherwise never would have known about or had access to. We want to keep those same doors of opportunity open for all students.”
When viewed within the context of where a student lives and learns, test scores can confirm a student’s grades or demonstrate their strengths beyond what their high school grades may show. In the class of 2020, nearly 1.7 million U.S. students had SAT scores that confirmed or exceeded their high school GPA. That means that their SAT scores were a point of strength on their college applications. Among those students, more than 300,000 were from small towns and rural communities; 600,000 were first-generation college goers; and 700,000 were Black or Latino.
The SAT is an objective measure that is available to students at a time when:
- There are more than 25,000 high schools in the U.S. No college can know and see all of those high schools and each student in them.
- While high school grades are an important reflection of students’ work, the share of students graduating high school with an A average has grown from 39% in 1998 to 55% in 2021.
- Other parts of college applications, including clubs, sports, and academic activities, often are costly and inaccessible for many families.
HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU BY WHEN YOU GRADUATE
Whether these changes apply to you varies depending on your grade level. Below we provide more specific guidelines for each group of current high school students.
Class of 2024For U.S. students, these changes will only affect Class of 2024 high school students who decide to take the test during the spring of their 12th grade year. As mentioned above, College Board will offer the first digital SAT test in the U.S. during the spring of 2024.
Class of 2025These students will experience both paper and digital tests. This past fall (fall of 2022), 10th graders in the Class of 2025 took a paper PSAT test. In 11th grade, they will take the digital PSAT test. It’s important to note here that College Board has indicated that instead of a handful of in-school test dates for the PSAT digital test in the fall of 2023, schools may decide on a test date any time during the month of October. Check with your high school counselor to know exactly which day you can expect to take the test.
For SAT tests taken through December of the 11th grade, these students will take the paper version. Starting in spring of 11th grade, they will take the new digital SAT® test.
We recommend that these students continue preparing as normal. As College Board announces additional details regarding these changes, we will communicate more specific recommendations. At KD, we will include preparation for both the paper and digital format for these students.
“We will have the first students to be affected, our clients in the Class of 2025, ready long before the new test format’s launch,” Dillard says.
We strongly encourage students to complete testing prior to 12th grade to allow for more time to focus on college applications.
Class of 2026 and Younger StudentsThe Class of 2026 will be the first impacted by a purely digital testing environment for the PSAT and SAT tests. Since the test content will remain consistent, students still need to acquire and practice math and verbal skills. You should continue your foundational preparation with KD as recommended. We will communicate more specific changes in spring of 2023.
Please Note: Some high-level Class of 2026 students should consider taking the paper SAT test at some point during August through December of 2023 of their 10th grade year. Please speak to a KD advisor to see if this recommendation might apply to your student.
Whether these changes apply to you varies depending on your grade level. Below we provide more specific guidelines for each group of current high school students.
Class of 2024For U.S. students, these changes will only affect Class of 2024 high school students who decide to take the test during the spring of their 12th grade year. As mentioned above, College Board will offer the first digital SAT test in the U.S. during the spring of 2024.
Class of 2025These students will experience both paper and digital tests. This past fall (fall of 2022), 10th graders in the Class of 2025 took a paper PSAT test. In 11th grade, they will take the digital PSAT test. It’s important to note here that College Board has indicated that instead of a handful of in-school test dates for the PSAT digital test in the fall of 2023, schools may decide on a test date any time during the month of October. Check with your high school counselor to know exactly which day you can expect to take the test.
For SAT tests taken through December of the 11th grade, these students will take the paper version. Starting in spring of 11th grade, they will take the new digital SAT® test.
We recommend that these students continue preparing as normal. As College Board announces additional details regarding these changes, we will communicate more specific recommendations. At KD, we will include preparation for both the paper and digital format for these students.
“We will have the first students to be affected, our clients in the Class of 2025, ready long before the new test format’s launch,” Dillard says.
We strongly encourage students to complete testing prior to 12th grade to allow for more time to focus on college applications.
Class of 2026 and Younger StudentsThe Class of 2026 will be the first impacted by a purely digital testing environment for the PSAT and SAT tests. Since the test content will remain consistent, students still need to acquire and practice math and verbal skills. You should continue your foundational preparation with KD as recommended. We will communicate more specific changes in spring of 2023.
Please Note: Some high-level Class of 2026 students should consider taking the paper SAT test at some point during August through December of 2023 of their 10th grade year. Please speak to a KD advisor to see if this recommendation might apply to your student.