We’ve got more information from College Board on what the new digital SAT will look like. While the new test covers the same skills and knowledge as the current version, students taking the digital test will see some significant updates:
Timing: The new digital SAT will take 2 hours and 14 minutes instead of the current 3 hours. College Board says that while the test itself is shorter, students will have on average more time per question.
Format: The new test has two sections: Reading and Writing (54 questions, 64 minutes), and Math (44 questions, 70 minutes). Each section contains two modules.
Reading and Writing: The new test has one combined Reading and Writing section instead of the current two separate sections. Students will see much shorter passages, with just one question per passage. College Board says they’re still testing the same critical reading and writing skills as on the current test.
Math: Students will be able to use a calculator throughout the entire math section. The test will still include both multiple choice and student-produced response (grid-in) questions.
Adaptive Testing: For each section, students will complete two modules. In module 1, students are given a broad mix of easy, medium and hard questions. In module 2 they’ll see a targeted mix of questions of varying difficulties based on their performance in module 1. College Board says they’ve chosen to implement this adaptive model so they can “fairly and accurately measure the same things with a shorter test while preserving test reliability.”
While online practice tests aren’t available yet, you can check out these sample questions for the new version.
The new digital test rolls out in the U.S. in spring 2024, so U.S. students in the graduating class of 2025 who plan to take the SAT will see the new test in spring of their junior year. International students will take the digital SAT starting in spring 2023.
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