The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is widely used for college admissions in the United States, will go all-digital and will be an hour shorter, the College Board announced on Tuesday, January 25. According to Priscilla Rodriguez, Vice-President Of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, the digital SAT will be more relevant and easier to give. "The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant," Priscilla Rodriguez said.
“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,” she said.
The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, the release said. The passages "reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college," the board said. Students will also be allowed to use calculators on the entire math section and scores will be received in days, instead of weeks, it said.
"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," the board said in a release.
"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 release said.
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, it said.
The board further said that 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 US in 2024. The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally in 2023 with the PSAT 10 following in 2024. Candidates can check the latest updates and more information about the changes through the official website-- SAT.org/digital.
