Starting in March 2024, US students will take the new digital SAT on their computers and tablets for the first time. With most competitive colleges still using test scores in the admission process, students can demonstrate their readiness for college-level work by submitting strong SAT scores. You also may be able to win significant merit-based scholarships tied to your SAT performance. But with the new digital format, what are some of the most significant changes to the exam?
1. It will have adaptive sections
The paper-based SAT took over three hours to complete because students must tackle questions from a wide range of difficulties. The new digital SAT will be streamlined, taking only a little over two hours to finish because it will be “section adaptive.” This means every student will start with a module of moderate difficulty. Those who perform well will go on to a more challenging second module, but those who don’t will see an easier second section—which will affect scoring since the modules are weighted differently. It’s important for students to try their very best on every question since each one will have a significant impact on their score and will determine which module they'll move on to. Fortunately, the shorter test time should make endurance less of an issue.
Related: 3 SAT Prep Steps to Help High School Underclassmen Get Ready Early
2. Reading and Writing passages will be shorter
While the current SAT has a few longer passages accompanied by several questions, each Reading and Writing text in the SAT will now feature a single question and be no longer than 150 words. Having several shorter passages tests students on a wider variety of literary genres, including drama, humanities, and poetry. Many students may find it easier to focus on the reading material since it is broken up into smaller chunks instead of longer, hard-to-follow sections.
3. It will feature new question formats
Despite the shorter length of the SAT, there will still be plenty there to assess students’ critical-thinking skills, including new types of questions. Some of the new formats include:
- Textual Evidence:Students will be asked to determine what findings would support or undermine a hypothesis.
- Inference: Students must select an option that would most logically complete a selection of text.
- Rhetorical Synthesis: After a series of bulleted notes, students must determine what choice best uses information from the text to accomplish a specific goal.
Related: 5 Great SAT Prep Hacks to Succeed on Test Day
4. A calculator will be available throughout the Math sections
On the paper SAT, there’s a non-calculator Mathematics section. Most students I‘ve talked with are excited to learn that they’ll be able to use a calculator throughout the digital SAT. Although you’re still permitted to bring a calculator of your own, the SAT online program has a powerful graphing calculator by Desmos that you can use at any point during the Math section. This calculator will be especially helpful with problems about systems of equations, graphing parabolas, and graphing circles. Test takers will still be given scrap paper at testing centers, since writing out one’s work is an excellent strategy for arriving at a correct answer.
5. Limited accurate SAT prep materials are available
With so many changes to the SAT, many of the current prep books and practice tests will be dated, so you’ll need to look in the right place. The College Board has made four digital SAT practice tests and one digital PSAT practice test through their Bluebook application. Barron’s also offers a free eBook with Digital SAT practicematerials along with helpful articles and tips. You can supplement these free resources with updated preparation books like Barron’s Digital SAT Study Guide Premium and guidance from an experienced tutor. Additionally, you should work on bolstering your overall academic skills by taking rigorous courses, studying vocabulary, and reading independently, which will all help you prepare for the material covered on the SAT.
Related: 3 Things to Consider About Standardized Test Prep Services
Future college applicants concerned about these new changes should keep in mind that the exam is more student-friendly and that the ACT, the other major college admission test, will remain in its current format for the foreseeable future—so if you want a little more predictability, go for that exam. When high school juniors take the digital PSAT for the first time, many students will begin to feel more comfortable with this streamlined version. The digital SAT has been administered internationally since March 2023, and so far, my students generally like it better than the paper version. You have nothing to lose by trying the new SAT for yourself to see what you think. For many, it could be a big boon to their application and admission chances.
Not sure if the SAT or ACT is right for you? Get some great advice from experts who can help you decide!
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FAQs
With the digital SAT, students will get more time per question. Math questions will be explained more concisely than before, and reading passages will also be shorter. The format works better for testers, said Priscilla Rodriguez, the College Board's senior vice president of college readiness assessments.
How will the SAT change in 2024? ›
That's right: the SAT will no longer be administered in a physical format, and test takers from 2024 onward will now take the digital version. While nearly every college and university in the United States decided to make the SAT optional during the pandemic, millions of students still took the test.
Was March 2024 SAT hard? ›
The March 2024 SAT caused a big stir not only because it was the first digital SAT in the United States, but also because many students found it to be much more difficult than expected. At Test Innovators, we work carefully to ensure our practice materials are true to the test.
Will SAT be required for class of 2024? ›
Test Optional is here to stay and we couldn't be more thrilled! At The College Curators, we recommend that high school students in the class of 2024 still consider taking the ACT or SAT, but whether or not they submit their scores should depend on test availability and personal performance.
What is the major change to SAT? ›
SAT exams to see many big changes in 2024: What all students need to know
- The SAT will be fully digital. ...
- The SAT will have shorter and new types of questions. ...
- The SAT will allow calculators throughout the math section. ...
- The SAT will have limited and different prep materials.
In June 2024, students who signed up to take a digital ACT will be part of another study. They will either take the same full-length digital ACT or a version of the test with fewer questions and a shorter time per section. Students will not know until test day which version they will take.
Will not submitting SAT scores hurt 2024? ›
However, in terms of colleges penalizing applicants for not submitting scores, no. They don't do that. Applying test-optional doesn't hurt your chances if you've got an outstanding application and are as strong or stronger than the other applicants.
Is 1600 SAT impossible? ›
An SAT score of 1600 could help you get into an Ivy League school and even win a full-ride scholarship. You may think that only students with genius-level IQs can score a 1600. The truth, however, is that anyone can get a perfect score if they put in enough work.
Which SAT date is the easiest? ›
Myth: The March SAT is the easiest SAT test date. Fact: There's no such thing as “the easiest SAT test date.” While it's true that some versions of the SAT are easier than others, it's false that some test dates are predictably easier than others.
Is 3 SAT attempts bad? ›
According to the College Board, most students improve their scores significantly when they retake the test, but the score gains are smaller for each successive test. So, while you can take the SAT as many times as you want, it may not be worth it to retake the test more than three or four times.
Can you get into Harvard without SAT or ACT? Yes, Harvard is one of the Ivy League schools that have adopted test-optional policies, which means that students can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores.
Is SAT enough for Harvard? ›
Harvard University SAT scores for Reading and Writing are 720-780 and 740-800 for Mathematics. Scores of more than 1500+ with 750+ out of 800 in each subject is an essential Harvard SAT score for international students. SAT cutoff for Harvard University ranges on a scale of 1460 to 1580.
Why are colleges no longer requiring SATs? ›
Why don't universities require ACT or SAT standardized tests for college admissions anymore? The ACT and SAT are seen by some as being unfair, racist and not a true determiner of a student's academic capability. These are just some of the reasons that standardized tests have been made optional.
Is the 2024 SAT easier? ›
The shorter prompts make the 2024 test more manageable for students who are learning English. The app and the built-in calculator students can use on the math questions feel more intuitive to a digital-native generation, according to some educators and students.
Will the SAT be curved? ›
As an adaptive test, the SAT will rate you based on the number and quality of questions you got right. That means your scores reflect your ability levels. However, since the SAT isn't graded on a curve, your scores aren't based on how the rest of the students did.
Will the new SAT be harder? ›
Is the Digital SAT Harder? The difficulty level of the SAT, whether in its digital or paper-pencil format, remains the same. The College Board ensures that the digital SAT is designed to assess the same skills and knowledge as the traditional pencil-and-paper SAT.
Will the SAT be required for 2025? ›
REMAIN ACT/SAT-OPTIONAL OR TEST-BLIND/SCORE-FREE FOR FALL 2025; More than 80% of U.S. four-year colleges and universities will not require applicants for fall 2025 admissions to submit ACT/SAT scores according to a new tally by FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.
Will the new SAT be easier? ›
A new digital SAT is now being offered for the first time. The test is shorter, adaptive, and tests real-world skills. One test expert says it's easier than past versions but clarifies it's still not an easy test.
Why is the SAT becoming obsolete? ›
For many years, students have been required to take SATs to get into college. However, amid recent criticism that the tests cater to higher-income families and are an ineffective measure of a student's intelligence, they are slowly being eradicated as a mandate in students' applications.
Will the SAT be required for 2027? ›
In general, a good number of selective colleges and universities have continued with test-optional policies due to ongoing COVID-19 related disruptions. If you're unsure about whether to take the SAT, consider this: submitting a strong SAT score could still be advantageous for test-optional schools.
