All About the New Digital SAT

The all-new digital SAT changes the test-taking process significantly for college admissions candidates. What can high schoolers expect with SAT prep going forward? In this article, we’ll take a look at how experts weigh in on this developing issue and how it could impact your college admissions strategy.

The SAT (previously known as the Standardized Academic or Aptitude Test) is a long-standing academic exam for high school students in the U.S. by the CollegeBoard organization. For many years, a student’s academic score on this exam served as a proxy to help quantitatively predict their potential success in college. 

Until recently, this exam was always proctored in a physical location, with pencil and paper answer sheets.

There is now a digital exam that will be used going forward, along with several other major changes. 

This transition is described by Forbes: “In March, the College Board will launch the new digital SAT, a pivotal change in how students approach the key standardized test ... The digital SAT will be taken on a computer or tablet, has been shortened to two hours from three, and is adaptive so the questions posed in the latter part of the test will vary depending on how well students perform earlier” (Esaki-Smith).

There are a few other adjustments. To reduce stress, students now have more time per question. For the verbal components, the individual reading passages are shorter. In addition, students will have access to a graphing calculator throughout the entirety of the mathematics section. 

Together, these changes are part of the first significant set of alterations to the format of the test in many years.

The change comes at a momentous time in education. Proponents of the redesign acknowledge that teen attention spans are plummeting and anxiety rates are surging. What’s more, standardized testing as a whole faces new scrutiny following the wave of test suspensions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Forbes reports, “more than 80% of colleges and universities are currently test-optional, meaning they don’t require undergraduate applicants to submit standardized test scores… The University of California system won’t even consider standardized test scores … [a]nd only around 4% of colleges that use the Common Application system require the SAT or ACT scores for admission, compared with 55% in 2019-2020.” 

Others have also wondered about the elephant in the room: “So, against that backdrop, will a digital SAT make a difference? Or, more generally, do people still care about the SAT? The answer, according to some experts, is: Yes, a certain type of student cares” (Esaki-Smith).

If you’re not exactly sure where you want to apply to college yet, you’ll benefit from doing as well as you can on the tests—and leaving your options open.

First and foremost, those who are strong test-takers can always benefit from demonstrating their skills. What’s more, students targeting top schools should consider submitting strong academic scores whenever possible. 

Others referred to this type of boost as ‘extra credit’ on your application: “‘If you’re looking at two students who are pretty much identical across the board in academic and extracurricular achievement, and both have interesting backgrounds and profiles, at some point, you’ve got to split hairs,’ said Connie Livingston, director of counseling at Empowerly, an ed-tech company that helps students navigate college admissions. ‘If one candidate has a strong standardized test score and the other does not, then the student with that score may have an advantage,’ Livingston added.” (Esaki-Smith). 

Wondering how these changes to the new digital SAT will affect your SAT prep strategy? Hopefully, not very much. The material, according to the designers, should be just as rigorous and accurate as the paper exams while simultaneously reducing the opportunity for cheating—as so few students see the exact same test. 

In addition, many hope that tech-savvy youth will intuit the new format: “Overall, for students who plan to take the SAT, the digital version is likely to be a plus. The adaptive nature of the test ‘eliminates the need for a three-hour test, and we all know test fatigue is real,’ said Empowerly’s Livingston. ‘I think that’s a big benefit for students.’” (Esaki-Smith).

Furthermore, CollegeBoard hopes the basics won’t be a major surprise. The New York Times describes: “Students will take the exam on an app called Bluebook. In some ways, it tries to recreate the experience of working with paper. There are tools to make highlights and annotations, and to cross out multiple-choice responses students think are wrong. Test-takers will no longer need to flip back and forth between long reading passages and pages of accompanying questions. Instead, they will tackle a string of much shorter passages — some just one paragraph — each associated with a single question” (Goldstein).

Some educators even point to ways the new format uniquely appeals to marginalized groups like English-language learners and ADHD students, by breaking down the reading comprehension to be less intimidating.

Of course, there are some critics. For instance, Forbes reported after the first sitting that “numerous students who took the test thought the verbal sections were of expected difficulty but that the math questions were significantly harder than the practice questions they were provided” (White). 

Since all sittings of the SAT are graded on a curve, ideally this kind of context will help students prepare for the new format in the future without negative repercussions. Nonetheless, there’s little doubt that the CollegeBoard will continue to iron out quirks and snags in the process with students’ interests in mind.

So, if you were planning to take the test and are happy with your score, that’s great. Otherwise, take some time to familiarize yourself with the new style of questions and set up a regular study schedule leading up to your final test date.

If you need help developing your best-fit college admissions plan, testing is only the first step. Have you finalized a college list and chosen your recommenders? Drafted your essays? No matter your starting point, it’s okay.  From SAT prep to essay editing, there are resources available to help you put your best application forward.

Ready to work with an expert? Reach out to book a consultation with one of our enrollment experts to receive a personalized recommendation. The community of counselors at Empowerly specializes in helping students achieve their fullest potential and launch into amazing futures. For help navigating your standardized testing strategy—and everything else you might need for the application process—our experts can be your north star.