The College Board Bids Adieu to Paper and Pencil
Last week the College Board announced that the SAT will be going online in 2024. How is the test changing and how (if at all) will this change affect you?
The new SAT debuts in the US in March 2024
The first class who could possibly take the new SAT would be the class of 2025 (current 9th graders). However, there are a number of reasons it doesn’t make sense for the class of 2025 to take the new SAT:
Students will have to wait until spring of Junior year to take the test, which is often a busy time. Many of our students are finished with the SAT much earlier than this.
It is not wise to take one of the first few administrations of a new test as there are often problems and irregularities.
When tests are new, there are fewer study materials (and fewer old tests) so it’s harder to prepare intelligently.
Members of the class of 2025 should either start their preparation early and take the old SAT (by December 2023) or, preferably, focus on the ACT.
Members of the class of 2026 (current 8th graders) are the first class that should contemplate taking the new SAT.
The first official practice materials for the new SAT will be released in fall 2022, and the fall 2023 PSAT will be in the new format.
The new SAT will be completely digital
Students will take the new test in schools using either their own computer or tablet or one borrowed from the school.
Software will be installed on the computers/tablets so students cannot access any software other than the test program.
The test will be adaptive, meaning if students get more questions correct in the first section, the second section they receive will be harder. Students who miss more questions in the first section will get an easier second section and will be precluded from receiving a high score.
The new SAT will be only 2 hours long with different content
The reading passages will be much shorter and only have 1-2 questions per passage (as opposed to 9-11 per passage as on the current test).
A calculator will be allowed on all math questions (1/3 of the current math test does not allow use of a calculator). Students will be able to use their own calculator or one that’s a part of the online program.
There will be less reading in the math section.
Ivy Link will keep you posted on any additional information as it becomes available. If your child is currently preparing for the SAT or ACT or will begin soon, register them for a full-length diagnostic test with a live proctor (in-person or online) and receive a full score report with detailed feedback for each section.
