Add Project Key Words

The Digital SAT: Analyzing the Changes

You’ve probably heard the news already—the College Board has just announced that the SAT will be completely digital in a couple years’ time. The digital SAT means that students no longer have to bring number 2 pencils to the test. There are also section-based changes as well as changes in the duration of the test. To find out more about what the new test consists of, the changes it brings, and the role of the SAT in a test optional landscape, we have outlined everything we know so far about the digital SAT. 

What Is the Digital SAT and When Does It Begin?

The digital SAT is exactly what it sounds like. The SAT will be taken on laptops or tablets. In pilot runs that were conducted last year by the College Board, 80% of students said they found the digital tests less stressful if provided with tablets or laptops. 

Students can expect the digital SAT at international test centers in March of 2023 and at U.S. schools and test centers in spring of 2024. Since most students take the SAT for the first time in their junior year, students testing internationally in the class of 2024 will be the first to take the digital SAT. In the U.S., students in the high school class of 2025 will be the first class to take the digital edition of the exam.

The Digital SAT: What’s New and What Stays?

You might understandably wonder what changes the digital SAT brings in terms of content and format. Alongside being conducted on laptops and tablets, the duration of the exam is also being shortened from three hours to two hours. In the critical reading section, the digital rendition will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each passage. The passages will also "reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college," according to the College Board. As for the math section, the College Board will also allow calculators on all of the questions. Previously only some of the math questions have allowed students to bring calculators. 

Not everything is new in the digital SAT. Here’s what will continue to stay the same:

• The digital SAT will also be scored on a 1600 scale.
• Just like the current SAT, the digital SAT will still be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present—not at home. 
• Students can access practice tests and resources that will reflect the digital format.
• Students who require disability accommodations will continue receiving them.

The Importance of the SAT in College Admissions

Now that you’ve read about the digital SAT, you might be wondering about the importance of this test. The SAT has been heavily criticized for favoring wealthier students for one. Moreover, COVID has made it difficult for many students to have access to safe testing centers due to surging case numbers. Many schools have continued implementing test optional policies that started in 2020-2021—approximately 1,800 schools waived the testing requirement in the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. The University of California system announced last year that SAT and ACT scores would no longer be a factor in admissions; all of the UC schools are now test blind.

Consider Your GPA

That said, if you do have an SAT score, you might be wondering how it might benefit you to submit it. If you have a high GPA, you’re definitely in a good place. College admissions is a holistic review process. Going in with a low SAT score is not going to make or break your entire application. Besides, you’ve got a very good asset with your GPA in your arsenal. Admissions officers at top schools value a high GPA because that number reflects sustained effort and accomplishment. Colleges will especially note if your GPA was earned through a challenging course load. If you’ve succeeded in honors and AP classes, and taken more advanced courses such as calculus instead of just taking algebra, it reflects very well on your abilities. You’ve worked hard over your four years of high school to maintain top grades, whereas the SAT reflects a single day’s performance. Your SAT score definitely matters, but know that your GPA does carry more weight in the process because of this. You could have just had a bad day on your SAT test date. 

Check Medians of Admitted Students

Another very straightforward way of deciding whether or not you should submit your SAT results to test optional colleges is to check the medians for admitted students at these institutions. If your SAT score falls near or above the 75th percentile for the college, you should definitely submit it. You have absolutely nothing to lose in that case — your SAT score adds another layer that benefits your application. On the flip side it might be worth reconsidering sending your score to a top school such as Yale or Harvard if the rest of your application is outstanding but your SAT score is on the lower side. The same way a strong score definitely helps you get an edge if you submit it, a lower score might put a taint on your otherwise wonderful application. If you don’t feel confident in your score and you don’t have time to retake the test, since you have the option this cycle, you might as well take advantage of it.

Take a Test If You’re able to

If you’re a test taker who is stressed out by the pen and paper test and you fall among the group of students who will take the digital SAT, it’s definitely worth taking the test to see how you fare. Considering Harvard has already announced that they will be test optional at least until 2024, you can count on many schools still being test optional. This can take the pressure off a little bit when you take the test and you can try your hardest and consider whether to submit the score once you get it back. 

The digital SAT brings some big changes to the college admissions scene. However, all things considered, this might actually show progress towards a more friendly test for students who may have previously been struggling with the exams. If you’re applying to college before the test goes digital, you don’t have to worry. And if you are potentially sitting for the SAT when the digital test goes into play, you will hopefully have lots of time to practice. Good luck!