On Jan. 25, College Board, the makers of the SAT, AP exams, and various other standardized tests, announced that the SAT will be administered digitally starting in 2024.  

The style of the SAT has been changing from previous years.  The time to take the SAT is now shorter, reduced to two hours from three hours, and features more time to complete each question.  The test now has revised reading passages, each shorter in length, and broader in scope.  College Board said that the new topics will “represent the works students read in college.”  SAT scores will now be reported faster due to the digital exam, and will be returned in “days, instead of weeks,” according to College Board. 

 Further changes include calculators being permitted for the entirety of the math section of the exam. Test takers will also receive score reports linking students to information regarding potential career paths.  The digital SAT will now feature a unique arrangement of questions for each student, similar to MAP Growth tests, making cheating more difficult.  The new digital SAT will be administered internationally starting in 2023, and in the U.S. by 2024.  

“I think the digital SAT could be a good thing and a bad thing,” said sophomore Jake Restivo. 

The digital exam does not come without flaws. It would be unfair to students with limited access to technology.  

“I don’t really like how you have to take it online because some students might feel more comfortable taking it in person, and like to do things on paper better than a screen,” said freshman Isabella Garcia.  

To address this, College Board will provide a device to take the new SAT to any student who requires it.  The digital SAT also has built-in auto-save, ensuring that if internet connection is lost or other technical issues occur, progress will not be lost. 

The SAT remains an important part of college admissions, as it is a box that the majority of students are required to check for a chance to be accepted into a top-tier school.  With an increasing number of colleges allowing students to take tests and submit their scores optionally, this potentially decreases the amount of people choosing to take the SAT.  By making the SAT digital and easier to administer, College Board hopes that the test stays in use for years to come.  

“The SAT going digital could be a step for it to be phased out entirely,” said freshman Spencer Cohen.  

As more colleges make the SAT and ACT optional, only time will tell if these tests will survive.  Being forced to travel for over an hour to take an SAT that is only offered seven times a year can make the test a formidable if not impossible task, for some students.  By making the SAT easier, and allowing people to do it more comfortably, College Board will, in theory, ensure that people continue taking it.  Additionally, the test could be fairer due to the adaptive nature of the exam, and the wider range of the questions.  

The exam changes were carefully selected and tested in Nov. 2021, and received a wide range of positive feedback.  Students reported the digital exam being less stressful than the physical exam.  Furthermore, students also reported that the digital version was easier to concentrate on, specifically in the revised reading portions.  The proctors also provided positive feedback for College Board.  The fact that they were no longer required to package and distribute the exams made the process easier for all proctors and test takers.  Additionally, the shortened exam made scheduling the test easier for all schools that took part in the pilot.  The ability to be more flexible when providing SAT exams to students makes the SAT friendlier to schools in districts with few teachers, and people that can dedicate more than three hours for an exam.

While students taking the trials reported almost universally positive feedback, students and teachers around Schreiber have differing opinions on the digital SAT.  While some still think it will have a positive impact, a number of students are wary about the drastic changes coming to one of the biggest tests in the U.S. with some thinking it could be a step towards the end of the SAT entirely.  

“I think the digital SAT could take some stress off their backs,” said freshman Kiara Adams. 

The digital SAT is a drastic change in a rapidly-evolving age.  With a sweeping set of changes, only time will tell how this will affect the millions of students that take the exam every year.