Technological evolution in the standardized testing landscape was inevitable at some point and now there’s a big shift on the horizon. The SAT will be launching its new digital test nationally by 2024. Some may question whether digitization is the type of evolution we should be considering when many believe that this system isn’t the best one to evolve in the first place. Nonetheless, change is coming and the best way to prepare is to be armed with information.
Anticipated Timeline
Debut outside of the U.S. in 2023.
The U.S. will experience the new test in the form of the PSAT in October 2023.
The U.S. will officially see the new SAT in 2024.
Current 9th graders – the class of 2025 – will be the first students in the U.S. to tackle the new test.
Design, Changes, and Logistics
Although the test will be digital, the intent of the new SAT is not that it will be an at home test.
The new SAT will be shortened to two hours versus three.
The test will be split into two sections: math and reading/writing. Each portion will be worth 800 points. The sections will start with introductory sets of questions. The difficulty of subsequent questions will vary depending on performance during the first sets.
Changes to the parameters and structure of the sections include allowance of a calculator on the entire math section and shorter and more varied reading passages.
The idea, the College Board said, is to deliver questions “appropriate to a student’s performance level,” to get a clear picture as fast as possible how well students have mastered key skills. The 200-800 score will need to reflect these differences.
Score return timeline will also be accelerated, with results taking only days to arrive.
There are concerns about the integrity of adaptive digital tests. The thought is that this will be more secure than static paper tests, since students are presented with different sections. The security of the item bank and section bank must still be maintained.
SAT vs ACT
The plan for the SAT is to cut ties with the current non-adaptive paper test despite the likelihood that the move would drive some students to the ACT which has not made such changes.
As with past transitions, students may have trepidation with the new digital SAT and the uncertainty around new changes. One of the biggest factors that determines which test students pursue is access to high quality preparation material. They may also question how colleges will evaluate the new scores.
ACT’s digital test is only offered through participating schools and, outside of being digital, is no different stylistically from the current paper test. ACT’s digital offering is rapidly growing in popularity.
Final Thoughts
Pros: Shorter testing time, all calculator math section, shorter reading passages, quicker score turnaround
Cons: Less available prep resources, adaptive nature can be a challenge mentally, logistics technologically within the schools
It was only a matter of time that digital was coming, and as with all other technological shifts we will ultimately adapt. What will be more important to watch the next 3-5 years is how colleges continue to utilize these tests for admissions and scholarships.