The College Board has announced that the SAT will go digital beginning in 2024. This is a change that is, for most parts, a positive step towards reaffirmation of standardized testing's relevance and importance in a post pandemic world. Students will get more opportunities for success with their scores as well as increasing rates of college attendance or graduation among those who do take these tests regularly.
To quickly recap - In 2021, the SAT changed from an earlier 2400 score (with three sections) to a 1600 point test. The new format penalized wrong answers and there were also changes in how the reading section is scored, writing portion got merged into one with calculator/no-calculator options available for those who need them; finally essay questions became a part of this overall 1600.
In this new update, along with the reduced testing time of 2 hours, the Digital SAT will see the following major changes: 1. The reading passages will become shorter and there will be just 1 question per passage
2. Passages will be picked from a broader range of college-level texts
3. The students will be allowed to use a calculator for the entire math section
The Digital SAT is a streamlined, more focused version of the current test that reduces focus on endurance or speed while honing in college-readiness skills. The focus on synthesizing graphical information will be increased.
Many students are apprehensive about how this transition might affect them. Fortunately for those who fear the worst because of its convenience and ease-of-use qualities in comparison with other versions like paper and proctored exams (which require additional time), it seems as though most students, post the November pilot, are seeing these changes as a positive shift! The board says their goal was "to make a complex exam simpler," which sounds fair for those who have invested hours in preparing for the same.
The new test will be easier and quicker because it's digital. The final score will be given out of a total of 1600. Lastly, score reports will be available within days instead of weeks, so students can get their results back faster than ever!