SAT will go digital from 2023 – What this means and how to prepare for the new test

How will the Digital SAT be different from the current SAT?

The Digital SAT will be a more streamlined version of the current test. The new format will reduce focus on endurance or speed while honing in on college-readiness skills. On the current SAT, the Reading section with its long passages and often obscure History passages takes patience to solve through. With a wider range of short passages, the test is likely to include passages from the humanities and sciences delving into more contemporary issues in economics, finance, and the environment.

Further we might see increased focus on synthesizing graphical information with passage text to solve questions. However, at this point this is speculation. The shift to calculators for the entire Math section signals some major changes in the test. We might see a change to more straightforward questions in the manner of the ACT Math section and inclusion of more geometry and trigonometry problems besides the SAT focus on Algebra and Word problems.

Will it be difficult to take the test online?

If you prefer tests offline, you might be apprehensive about the online version of the test. Good news is that most students in the pilot test found it more intuitive and simpler. 

1. When College Board says the digital version of the test is more "intuitive" they mean it is “simpler to navigate” and “simpler to answer without fatigue.”
2. The interface for the digital SAT will have a Student Clock making it easier for test takers to keep track of time.  
3. There will be tools such as highlighter, strikethrough, and mark for review 
4. With a built-in calculator and a reference feature (standard mathematical formulas), test takers will have all the tools for solving questions in one place. 

Scores and Score Reports

Scores will continue to be reported on a 1600 scale. Because of the digital format, score reports will be available within days instead of the weeks required in the current version of the test.

How can I start preparing for the Digital SAT?

One thing that hasn’t changed on the SAT over the years is its focus on testing college readiness skills in reading, grammar, and math.

Here’s how you can start preparing yourself for each skill area for the Digital SAT.

Reading: Begin reading across a range of humanities and science topics. Good places to start include the Economist, New Scientist, New York Times, and Washington Post. Read editorials. Read about current geopolitical and environmental developments. Focus on becoming a more well-informed reader overall. Try cultivating opinions instead of simply being a passive recipient of facts. 

Writing and Language: Grammar and punctuation rules are not likely to be phased out anytime soon on standardized tests. Become familiar with all grammar topics on the current SAT and utilize official 

Math: Start practicing all the math topics on the current SAT. Also put additional focus on geometry and trigonometry problems from ACT official tests. Formulas and facts are integral to math. They help you attempt the questions more accurately and efficiently. So challenge yourself to learn up the formulas and facts pertaining to the topics on the current SAT, while also understanding why and how they work. 

When should I start preparing for the Digital SAT?

If you are targeting the SAT in 2023, you have enough time to build a strong base of reading, writing and language, and math skills. Start as soon as possible along the lines indicated in the previous section. Focus on making tangible improvements in all areas. Don’t be hesitant about using current SAT tests to check your progress.  There is no need to take full length tests but you can always solve Writing and Language sections and Math sections and try to work toward a perfect score on your practice tests. For reading, focus on first building a base of comprehension skills and awareness of contemporary global debates and issues. This will help build your vocabulary and reading speed automatically so that you can successfully transition to SAT reading in future.

In conclusion

The Digital SAT is all set to change the testing landscape. We are sure to see a dramatic increase in the number of SAT test takers once the test goes digital in 2023.The test is good news for students because of the streamlined testing experience it offers. With adequate preparation, the new test should provide a more fulfilling and productive experience for students on their way to top tier colleges.

This article was originally published by The Economic Times on 28th January 2022.