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The SAT Is Going Digital

Christina Taber-Kewene

Hey there, high schoolers! If you are going to be a junior next school year (Class of 2025), you are in the initial year for the new digital SAT, as the College Board will be moving the paper SAT to a digital, adaptive format for spring 2024. 

Read on for answers to all your questions about the new digital PSAT and SAT; how to still take the SAT on paper; and whether you should take the SAT, ACT, or just go test optional.

When does the new digital SAT format take effect?

The SAT is already being offered digitally in 2023 for international test sites and will convert to a digital format in March 2024 for US test sites. This means that rising juniors taking the test after this fall and younger students will be prepping for a digital SAT. 

What about the PSAT, will it be digital this fall?

Yes, the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit qualifying exam) will be digital for October 2024 test takers (Class of 2025). Read more about the PSAT here. 

What if I still want to take the SAT on paper? 

If you are in the Class of 2025 or younger, and you think you might do better taking a test on paper, you could decide to prepare ahead and take the SAT this fall while it is still available in this format. The SAT will be on paper in June, August, October, November, and December 2023. Most students will want to study for at least four months ahead of the first test, and can plan to test once they have completed Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. How to time WHEN to take the SAT/ACT?. 

Will the ACT also change? How does the ACT differ from the SAT?

The ACT is still on paper, so that is another option. Note that the ACT is faster paced than the SAT, and the announced changes indicate the SAT will be even more generous with timing than it is now, so this may be a deciding factor for some students. The best approach is to take practice tests of each to determine which test is a better fit. You can find these on the Preparing for College page of our CTK Resource Room. 

What else is changing with the digital SAT? 

  • The digital SAT will be shorter: about two hours long rather than the current length of about three hours.

  • Students will have more time per question (a move away from the ACT, which has greater time pressure already than the SAT)

  • The SAT math will allow a calculator on the entire math test (as the ACT already does).

  • Reading passages will be shorter and cover a broader range of topics. 

  • The SAT will be adaptive, changing test questions for subsequent questions depending on how well a student does on earlier questions. 

  • The SAT may be offered more frequently.

What is staying the same with the digital SAT? 

  • The SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale.

  • The SAT will still test reading, grammar, and math.

  • The SAT will still be administered at test sites, not at home.

What happened to the SAT optional writing (the SAT essay)?

Starting around 2019, colleges stopped requiring or even recommending that students submit the essay portion of the SAT and ACT. Following the trend, the College Board eliminated the SAT essay option in spring 2021 (as well as the SAT subject tests, which had become redundant of the more-emphasized AP exams). Although the ACT still offers an optional writing portion, we don’t recommend taking it, as it is rarely even considered by colleges in the admissions process. 

Are most colleges still test optional? 

You betcha they are. The test optional movement gained enormous traction during the pandemic, and all the drivers (other than testing companies’ profits) are towards testing continuing to be optional at the majority of schools: it gives colleges more freedom in selecting their class members, vastly increases the number of applications colleges receive, and it is preferred by many students and families who wish to avoid the pressure and cost of testing. 

More than 1800 colleges are now test optional, and this includes heavy hitters like Stanford, Ivy League colleges, and the vast majority of state and liberal arts colleges. Fair Test is always your most up-to-date source for learning a school’s test-optional status. Public schools in California continue to be test blind (test scores not considered).

Why should I take the SAT or ACT if so many schools are test optional?

There are several reasons:

  1. Not all schools are test optional: these include Georgetown, MIT, Purdue, and several public schools in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. If you are applying to one or more of those schools, you must prepare for and take tests. 

  2. School Preference: Some test-optional schools have a clear preference for submitting test scores. Auburn, for example, only accepted 9% of its class from the test-optional applicant pool. 

  3. Standing Out: Having a test score higher than the average for the accepted student body always helps a student stand out, so many students will prep for and take tests to see if they can achieve this, especially when applying to highly selective schools.

  4. Raising the Academic Profile: A strong test score can be a helpful part of the profile for a student whose grades are lower than she or he would like. 

Students applying to the most selective schools will want to have every possible advantage in their application, and a high test score is one of them.

If you’re wondering whether or not to test prep, schedule a free consultation to learn more.

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