The New and Anticipated Digital SAT® Is Coming Soon: Here's Everything We Know!
Editor’s Note: This page has been updated from a previous version published in October 2022
College Board has been teasing out their anticipated digital SAT® Suite of Assessments, and we finally (finally!) have a clear timeline of which assessments are switching to digital versions and when.
Not only that, we at Clear Choice are proud to announce our support for the Digital SAT® with our own white-label, fully-digital, adaptive practice tests—complete with accurate, algorithmic scoring. This means your tutoring business can start supporting your students and tutors with authentic test prep experiences today, so they are prepared for the future.
Don’t want to wait? Schedule a demo, and experience the future of the SAT® for yourself.
SAT® Suite of Assessments Administration Timeline
2022
Fall 2022: Digital SAT® Suite of Assessments pilots research studies. College Board’s testing app may be downloaded; it will include four SAT® practice tests.
For many of us, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. While some sample problems and the general structure of the test have been available for some time now, we haven’t had a complete picture of exactly what the Digital SAT® was going to look and feel like. The wait is now over.
Students, educators, and tutors can now download College Board’s Bluebook app (currently available for Windows, Mac, iPad (iOS), and Chromebook), and dive into a full Digital SAT® practice test. For the time being, this is the only available option for getting a look at a full version of the new test and format.
Before downloading, be sure to read over College Board’s Technology Tasks; this information will help make sure that you and your students are downloading the correct version. There is also a Readiness Checklist for technology coordinators to make sure that administrators are fully prepared for the digital test on test day. This includes links for network guidance, device specifications, installation troubleshooting, and a super helpful Test Day Toolkit for test administrators.
2023
Spring 2023: International SAT® administrations in March, May, and June
May 2023: Digital AP Exams offered in 7 subjects
Fall 2023: The Digital PSAT 8/9® and PSAT/NMSQT® will be available as soon as October 2023
Next year is a big one for College Board’s switch to digital assessments. Not only is the Digital SAT® beginning to appear for international test takers in the first half of the year, but the Digital PSAT 8/9®, PSAT/NMSQT®, and (some) AP tests begin for all students in the fall of 2023.
For US students graduating in 2023 or 2024 (read: many of your current students), this means the existing SAT® remains the standard option. There are no real changes in how you need to be preparing these students for success on the SAT®.
2024
Spring 2024: The Digital SAT® will be available as soon as March 2024, the Digital PSAT 10® will be available in the spring 2024.
Barring any implementation delays, this means that the class of 2025 will be the first class of the all-digital SAT® Suite of Assessments era. Any students you have with an expected graduation date from 2025 onward should be getting support for how to engage with this style of online, adaptive testing format.
How Can Students Take the Digital SAT® Suite of Assessments
Students will be able to take the digital tests on a laptop or tablet, either a personal or school-issued device using College Board’s exam app. Ideally, the app should be downloaded, installed, and tested prior to test day.
Explore the Digital Exam Application here
Exams will also continue to be administered in schools and test centers with test proctors present. Most schools will opt to conduct an infrastructure test to ensure all devices are properly networked and configured for optimal test day performance.
What’s New
There are some notable differences between the Digital SAT® and the current version. Many of these changes have been public for some time, but now that an actual practice test is in the wild, we can both confirm them and speak to the specifics with a bit more certainty.
Format & Structure - The adaptive, digital test is exclusively available through Bluebook, College Board’s exam application. After completing the first portion of a test section, the second section’s difficulty will adapt to the student’s performance. Paper-based tests will remain for those test takers who qualify for the modification. That said, it is yet to be seen how the adaptive format will transfer to this analog style (if at all).
Time - The Digital SAT® is only 2 hours, 14 minutes long. This is 45 minutes less than the current SAT® and 41 minutes less than the current ACT®.
Sections - This is a noteworthy change for a number of reasons. For one, the test, on the whole, is much shorter. Each section has also undergone significant changes, as well.
Reading & Writing Test
Combined Stage 1: 32 minutes, 27 items
Combined Stage 2: 32 minutes, 27 items
Reading and writing have been combined into a single test section. Gone are the lengthy passages, and instead, each question that requires a passage has its own. These are generally quite short, with many only a paragraph or two in length. The test is divided into two equal stages, with the second half being the portion assigned based on the performance of the first half.
Math
Math Stage 1: 35 minutes, 22 items
Math Stage 2: 35 minutes, 22 items
Math is no longer split between calculator and non-calculator portions. Instead, calculators are allowed throughout the entire math section (like the ACT®). Just as the reading and writing section has done away with multiple questions tied to a single passage, it appears the Digital SAT® is doing away with the practice of using the same figure and/or given information for multiple problems in a row. Each question has its own unique information to consider.
Like reading and writing, the math test is divided in half with the second half adapting to the responses submitted in the first half.
Equating/Unscored Questions - Calibrating test questions is hard. By including unscored questions on a test, test makers can get useful data for future test content creation. Currently, both the SAT® and ACT® regularly include entire sections like these that don’t count in a test taker’s score. The new SAT® does away with that practice, and, instead, all sections will include no more than 4 unscored questions.
Scoring - The Digital SAT® is doing away with cross-test scores and subscores, but will keep the 400-1600 total score scale.
Score Reports - College Board is promising much faster delivery with the digital test format. Scores could be available within days after taking the exam. That said, students will no longer have access to their questions and answers.
Security - According to College Board, if one test is compromised, scores for the entire group of students are canceled. The Digital SAT® promises to be secure and much more challenging for cheaters to succeed. Time will tell on this front.
What’s Staying the Same
Not everything is changing with the Digital SAT® Suite of Assessments. There are a few holdovers from the current version:
Accommodations - According to College Board, the types of accommodations offered to qualifying test takers remain unchanged at this point. Students with accommodations requiring pencil-and-paper versions will still be able to take the SAT® that way. For more information on student accommodations for the SAT® Suite of Assessments, click here.
Test Scores - As mentioned, the SAT® will still be scored 400-1600 total score. In theory, this should allow College Board to offer equitable comparisons across the current and new SAT® formats—something particularly important during these transition years.
We Are Ready for the Digital SAT®! Are you?
As the SAT® and ACT® transition to all-digital testing, we are ready to support your tutoring business with the first and best custom-branded, fully-digital test-prep courses. Our white-label, all-digital, adaptive Digital SAT® practice tests include accurate, algorithmic scoring. This gives your tutors and clients access to the actionable data they need for tailored instruction and score optimization.
Ready to take your test prep to the cutting edge? Schedule a free demo and try it for yourself!