The days of number 2 pencils and SATs have come to an end. In the world characterized by the digital age, it seems as though the SAT is following suit for good. The SAT, run by the standardized testing company College Board, got a facelift for the 2024 spring testing season and will now only be offered in a digital form. Here’s everything you need to know venturing into testing season:
For starters, the biggest change for the new SAT is that the test is now fully digital. In years past, the SAT had been offered on paper, but as of March 2024, all students will be tested on a computer.
One major element of the SAT being on the computer is it will now be adaptive. The new version of the test will now be customized from student to student based on performance. The better a student does on the first section, the harder the questions will become for the second. However, the questions being harder will in turn make them worth more in points. This is extremely different from years past, as all students taking the SAT on a certain day got the same test. Now, because of the capabilities of a computer, each student will take a different test tailored to their ability.
Another major difference in the new SAT is that it’s much shorter. In past years, the SAT was a grueling three hours long. Now, the SAT is just over two hours long. The shortening of the test stems mostly from the fact that the former English literature and English writing portions are now combined into one, being 52 questions in total and 64 minutes in length. The English section also did away with the former long passages, replacing them with passages between 25 to 150 words, covering a wide range of topics, from science to poetry; some passages also contain informational tables and graphs. The math section of the SAT is also shorter, there is no longer a “non-calculator” section. The math portion of the test is now 75 minutes with 44 questions and a calculator is always allowed. 75% percent of the questions are multiple-choice (33 questions), and 25% are student-produced response questions (11 questions).
Students will also be provided a computer and/or a calculator on test day if they need one, but are allowed to bring in their own devices as long as they’re within the guidelines of the SAT and College Board.
CollegeBoard still offers a range of practice; students must download the Bluebook application to access them.
The PSAT’s, which are taken every year at Lakeland Regional High School, began being administered in digital format in the fall of 2023.
The adaptive SAT is here, and ready to bring a new age to the almighty standardized test. Registration for the June test ends May 16 – click here for details.
