Summary:

The SAT is transitioning to a digital format in 2024 for U.S. test takers and 2023 for international test takers. The test can be taken on different devices, such as a Mac, PC or a tablet. The new digital SAT is an adaptive test, meaning that it adjusts the level of difficulty of the questions based on your performance. Here’s some preliminary information on the test.

Transcript:

0:00:03: In today’s video, I’m going to be talking about the new digital SAT. The SAT tried and true paper and pencil test is going completely digital in the US in 2024. You will have paper and pencil versions of the test through the fall of 2023, the year that I make in this video. International actually is going fully digital in 2023. Now, what does that mean for you as a test taker and how you take the test? Well, if you’re going to take the SAT, you’ve got to take it in whatever format it’s offered in, right? So it’s not a huge, big deal. You’re going to be as much an advantage or disadvantage as anyone else taking the test digitally.

0:00:41: But it does give you some flexibility in when you take it, how you take it. You’ll be able to take it on PCs, laptops, all sorts of different devices, but the test will be something that’s called an adaptive test. Now, there are tests that are purely adaptive, like question by question. Well, let’s get into what adaptive testing really is. An adaptive test is a test that looks at your performance on the test and adjusts the level of difficulty of the questions that you’re given based on your performance.

0:01:12: Some tests, like the GMAT, for example, change the level of difficulty based on each individual question. If you get a question right, you’re going to get a slightly harder question. You get that one right, you’re getting a harder question. You get it wrong, you’re going to get an easier question. The SAT is a little bit different. Each section will be broken up into modules, and the first module will be pretty much the same for everybody…

0:01:33: …and it will look like a test that gives you a wide variety of levels of difficulty and material. And based on your performance on that first module, that will determine the second module that you get and whether it’s a more challenging module or an easier module. Which means that that first module is actually really important in helping determine what your score is. So we don’t have a whole lot of information yet. There’s not a lot of official news on the SAT. They’re developing online practice tests and things like that. So we’ll be looking into this a little bit more in the future.

0:02:06: But don’t fear, the SAT will be a manageable test in the future, just as it is now. The ACT has no plans to go fully digital at this point. So if you really are in fear of computer based testing, you can certainly go to the ACT instead. Each test presents its own challenges, but on about probably 70% of the material there’s a lot of overlap between those two tests. Okay, that’s it for today. See you later.

0:02:35: Thank you for watching, and for more information you can go to our website for more videos in our blog or subscribe to our YouTube or Instagram feeds. And don’t forget, Aim Higher!