It’s official now, the SAT is going all digital. This is a welcome change, as it reaffirms the significance and relevance of standardized testing in a post-COVID scenario. The exam, which students will complete on devices at testing centers, will also be shortened from three to two hours. The changes will take place in 2024 in the United States and March 2023 in other countries.
We’ve previously tackled some of those major initial questions, and we’ve taken a closer look at the questions around what it means for the SAT’s difficulty to be going adaptive. Still, behind everything we’ve already covered is a wider, and almost existential question: Why? Why all these changes? Why now, not before? Why such a sudden shift?
The answer not only explains the current state of the standardized tests but also gives us a sense of what to expect from the College Board and ACT next.
Same SAT, Different Format
The College Board has been talking for years about plans to shift from a paper-based test. As earlier, the digital SAT will still be scored on a 1,600 scale, but the fully computerized exam will be moved to two hours instead of three, have shorter reading passages than the current format, and will allow the use of calculators in the Maths section. The digital SAT will be only accessible at the designated testing sites or schools, which will provide students with devices to access the test or students may also opt to use their own devices. The digital SAT will be autosaved in case of internet failure or disruptions and will be adaptive to student performance. Each section will start with an introductory set of questions. The difficulty of subsequent questions will vary depending on whether the students have performed well or not in their first set. The digital format will also enable students to receive their scores soon, maybe within a few days of their exam.
Why These Changes?
This isn’t the first time the SAT has changed, and most probably it won’t be the last. In fact, in recent years, this is the third major redesign the test has undergone. In the year 2005, they changed the total score from 1,600 to 2,400, and added the essay, dropped analogies. In the year 2015, they went back to 1,600 scores, made the essay optional, and changed the content of questions in each section. The change is slightly different in order to make the test easier to take, more inclusive and fair, or more predictive of success in college.
Every restructure points out the same thing: Changing the design is a bid for its continued significance. The changes made(at least in part) in the year 2005 were to counter the increasing popularity of the rival ACT. The 2015 redesign was made in order to appeal to school districts looking for a Common Core test to satisfy federal testing needs. Of course, it’s 2022, not 2015, and the worldwide pandemic has fundamentally changed the landscape of standardized testing. But even as universities switch to blind and optional tests, what still matters most to the College Board is to appeal to the students in 2022. In the admission process, many students are still eyeing standardized tests as a chance to give an edge to their applications. By making the SAT shorter and easier, the College Board positions it as a more attractive alternative to its chief rival the ACT, which still is over three hours long and has an essay as optional.
- Shorter:- Not just overall, but the passages in the Reading section are diminishing and going from about ten questions each to just one.
- More secure, and efficient:- In the current scenario, if a single paper test form is compromised, entire groups of students could have their exams canceled. In the past, this has been an important area of concern —security breaches have caused widespread cancellation of exams across entire countries when paper copies or answers have leaked. Digital test allows students at the same test center to take various and different versions/variations of a test.
Paper tests require to be packaged, shipped, and then unpacked. And then, test materials and bubble sheets need to be repacked, shipped, unpacked once again, and scanned. Digital exams make everything easier and faster eliminating all the hassle.
- Get scores quicker:- The digital format will also enable students to receive their scores soon, maybe within a few days of their exam. So, there should be less worry about hitting application deadlines early.
Will This Effect Test Preparation?
As long as there is a predictable structure to the test, meaning recurring question types and patterns to the content being tested—there will be tricks and strategies to learn, and students will be able to prepare for it.
Students planning to take the SAT this year should stick to their current test prep plans. Nothing is changing for domestic or international test-takers in 2022.
International students planning to give the test in 2023 and domestic students planning to appear in the test in 2024 should stay tuned for further updates.
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