SAT Changes

Written by Z Skarupa

It seems like SAT is changing its format officially. The test that sent fear through No. 2 pencils and Scantrons is going digital. The exam, which students will complete on laptops or tablets at testing centers, will also be shortened from three hours to two hours. These changes will begin in 2024 in the United States and in 2023 in other countries. The College Board hopes to reduce the amount of stress for millions of students in the face of questions about whether college admissions tests are fair, or even necessary.

As a growing number of colleges and universities have already eliminated the requirement of SAT, or the competing ACT scores for applications, the tests need to adapt if they wish to stay relevant. “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.”

Other changes include calculators are available in all math sections, the reading section will be shorter with one question each and will more reflect what students are doing in the classroom. Scores will be available in days rather than weeks, allowing students and teachers to know what to work on in order to improve. This change mainly came due to the positive reception of the testing style of last November 2021 digital test, where more than 80% of educators provided positive feedback. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for the SAT.

Special thanks to the College Board for the statements.

Board College. “Digital SAT Brings Student-Friendly Changes to Test Experience” College Board, College Board, 25 January 2022, https://newsroom.collegeboard.org/digital-sat-brings-student-friendly-changes-test-experience.

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