College Board New Digital SAT? You have questions, we have answers
Updated: May 23
Click on the arrows to reveal more information
Where is the test taken?
Students will take the test at school or a test center, not at home. Check out this graphic of digital SAT changes. College Placement Consulting students can now access a diagnostic test for the adaptive digital SAT, register here.
When is the first available digital PSAT and SAT?
SAT - March 2024 for U.S. Based families
PSAT - October 2023 for U.S. Based families
If a student takes a paper and a digital test, can the results be used in super scoring?
The College Board says they will score across the paper and digital formats. This decision tree is helpful in weighing the pros and cons of each option.
Will the score levels change?
No, the score is still 1600.
How will students access the test?
Students will download the Bluebook testing app from the College Board before test day. On test day, the proctor will provide a start code to begin the test. Students can download the app now and check out the test preview as a starting point.
What are some features of the testing app?
Across all subjects/modules Functioning timer so students can monitor time per module Mark questions for later review See the number of remaining or unanswered questions Answer eliminator tool to help cross out choices
Reading/Writing - Annotation feature on the reading/writing section
Math - Onscreen graphing calculator allowed for every problem. We recommend that students become familiar with the online calculator and bring their own for certain problems.
Are there the same number of sections?
The number of sections changes from four to two. R/W sections are combined and a little over an hour long. The math sections are combined and still a mix of multiple-choice and text problems.
How long is the exam?
The digital SAT is one hour shorter. This is a great benefit for students with lower test-taking stamina.
When are scores released?
Digital testing means faster score releases a few days after the exam.
Since the exam is shorter, will students need to work much faster?
The College Board is not cramming more content into less time. Students will have about 10 seconds more per question.
Now that the R/W section is combined into one section is the content different?
The major difference that students will notice is how the passages look. Passages will be shorter, and only one question per passage. Students may even see an occasional poem. There is only one double passage on the exam, so the constant shorter snippets may keep students more engaged. Also, the cadence might be more manageable since similar questions are grouped.
More Vocabulary?
The digital SAT includes a return to a greater emphasis on vocabulary questions, which are about 20% of the exam. The new exam does not have as much straight vocabulary memorization. They are word and context questions to use clues to fill in the blanks. The higher-difficulty questions will require the students to know a wider range than what was on the paper exam. Higher-scoring students may need to take extra steps on word lists.
Is the math content changing?
Math content remains largely the same.
What is an adaptive test?
An adaptive test calibrates to each student’s level. The digital SAT is adaptive by section/subject.
How does an adaptive test work?
The digital SAT has each section/subject split into two parts called modules. How the student does on the first module will determine the difficulty of the section module. The student will see either a higher or lower-difficulty module after the introduction module.
How does the first module in each section affect the remaining questions?
How you do on the first module will greatly impact the overall score. The first module will mix easy, medium, and hard questions. Questions are valued with a different number of points. There is a wide range, so depending on which questions are answered correctly or incorrectly, you may or may not be moved to the difficult module.
Will the College Board still include the experimental unscored questions?
These are test questions used to develop future exams and are not counted in the student’s score. Currently, these questions are at the end of the exam. They will be included, but only two questions per subject/section vs. an entire section at the end of the exam.
Will the Question-and-Answer Service be available for the digital test?
No, one of the reasons for that is that the College Board says that each student will have a unique version of the test on test day, which bolsters security. Instead, they will release practice tests regularly throughout the year, so there is extra learning material.
Does College Placement Consulting help students with standardized tests?
Yes. As part of their college planning program, all CPC students receive guidance that includes
Diagnostic SAT and ACT
Consultation from our test-prep partner, Arbor Bridge on score results, recommended test
CPC Planner review of the SAT or ACT application role based on the school list. Answering questions such as will test-prep provide an ROI, is self-study a better route, or should the student let go and commit to test-optional applications?
Free Arbor Bridge tutoring session to "kick the tires"
How Does Arbor Bridge support College Placement Consulting families?
After completing the diagnostic SAT/ACT, consultation and review, if investing in test-prep is considered to provide a likely return, ArborBridge provides support with a sophisticated scoring algorithm to create customized and highly targeted study plans (specific to the needs of each student). Arborbridge is able to efficiently determine what specific areas a student should concentrate on to increase scores. It’s this process that allows 9 out of 10 ArborBridge students to score within the top 5% of all test-takers.
·