6 Major Changes in The All-New Digital SAT 2023- A Detailed Guide
6 Significant Ways the Digital SAT Will Differ
The fundamental structure and substance of the SAT, together with the 1600-point scoring system, are just a few of the key components that won't change. But how is the redesigned, digital SAT being altered? The top six are listed below.
- You'll use a computer to take the SAT.
The SAT will only be administered using a computer, not pen and paper, which is the major difference. Students can bring their personal laptops from home to take the test instead of using the testing facility's computers (however certain testing centers/schools may insist that you use only their computers). The College Board will provide a computer or laptop to individuals who do not have access to one so they can take the SAT. Your progress will be saved if the internet is down while you are taking the SAT, so you won't lose any time.
It's crucial to remember that although the SAT will be computerized, it must still be completed in a testing facility or classroom with a live proctor. The SAT cannot be taken at home or according to your own schedule.
- The SAT will only last two hours, not three.
The College Board did say that they are cutting a whole hour off the test, but they have not yet revealed the actual format of the redesigned SAT. Instead of three hours, the SAT now will last approximately two hours. Each section will likely be slightly condensed.
- More Time Is Allotted for Each Question.
Again, the College Board has not yet disclosed any formatting information, but they did say that on the digital SAT, students will have "additional time per question." Many students taking the SAT struggle with time constraints, and it's fairly usual to waste a lot of time before finishing a section's questions. This update should help to some extent with it.
These averages will lengthen since students currently have between 47 and 1 minute and 26 seconds to respond to each problem, depending on the SAT section.
- The whole math section will be open to the use of calculators.
Currently, the SAT Math exam is divided into two sections: one where calculators are allowed and one where they are not. Every arithmetic question on the digital SAT will have an onscreen calculator available. This also implies that you won't have to stress about remembering to bring the right calculator on test day.
- The SAT's Reading Passages are shifting, several adjustments are being made to reading passages:
- They shall be smaller.
- There will only be one question associated with each passage.
- More subjects will be covered in the passages.
- SAT Reading currently has six passages, each of which is between 500 and 750 words long. There are roughly ten questions associated with each passage. These modifications are intended to make it quicker and simpler to read and understand the texts.
- You'll receive your results sooner.
Currently, it takes somewhere around two to six weeks to obtain your SAT results, and the four institutions you selected to receive your complimentary score reports do so about 10 days thereafter. The College Board has guaranteed that results will be delivered in days instead of weeks with the digital SAT. Not only does this save you a lot of time, but you may also be capable of taking a later SAT—like the one in December—and still submitting your college applications on time if your scores had previously been received too late.
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When Does the Digital SAT Become Effective?
It's crucial to understand that these SAT modifications won't take effect straight away. The College Board has stated that the digital SAT won't be available until at least 2023 for foreign students and sometime in 2024 for US participants. The specific dates have not yet been disclosed.
All of this means that you still have the opportunity to take the traditional SAT if you decide against taking the digital version. SAT scores theoretically never expire, and almost every institution will accept them as long as they were obtained within the last five years.
Many students will like a test that is quicker, has less time constraints, and doesn't need bubbling in circles on a piece of paper. The new SAT adjustments are intended to make the testing process easier for kids. The pencil and paper version of the test may, however, be preferred by some students, either because they are more accustomed to it or because they have been preparing and taking SAT practice exams in that format. The decision is entirely up to you if you plan to take the SAT from around the time the digital test gets introduced. It is also feasible to take both test iterations and compare your results to discover which one you perform better on.
Will These Changes Have an Impact on College Admissions?
It's impossible to estimate exactly how these changes will impact college admissions because they were recently announced and won't go into effect for at least another year, but we believe there won't be much of a shift. We anticipate that colleges will assess the digital edition of the SAT in a manner similar to how they now view the present version because the overall content, complexity, and scoring method of the SAT aren't changing significantly. If you take one version of the SAT, you shouldn't worry about it having a negative effect on your university applications compared to those who took the other version. Colleges also try not to penalize students for circumstances that are out of their control.
Despite these recent adjustments, the way that universities assess the SAT has dramatically changed in recent years. Standardized test results have increasingly lost importance in many institutions' admissions decisions as they place greater emphasis on GPA, high school courses, and extracurricular activities. This trend was only accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it challenging or difficult for many kids to complete standardized tests for months. In 2020 and 2021, virtually all colleges become test-optional, and hundreds of institutions have made the decision to do so permanently. If a school allows test-optional applications, you can decide whether to include your ACT or SAT scores with your application.
Many of the recent improvements to the SAT were made with students in mind who would have been put off by completing such a lengthy and challenging test in mind. The College Board is very well aware of these developments. However, a survey by the College Board also revealed that 83% of students desired the opportunity to include exam results in their college applications, and almost every college currently allows applicants to do so. As a result, the SAT isn't likely to disappear any time soon.
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