Is the SAT easier in 2023?

SAT Tests Move Online from 2023

By Carli Allan

By Carli Allan

First Published:

Tuesday 8 March, 2022

Updated:

10th Aug 2022

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By Carli Allan

First Published:

Tuesday 8 March, 2022

Updated:

10th Aug 2022

The US-based College Board has announced that SAT tests, taken by students in American curriculum schools worldwide, will move online from 2023.

The SAT, a standardized test widely used for university admissions in the US, will be delivered digitally at international schools from 2023 and in the US from 2024. Students are tested on reading, writing and maths in the SAT, which can be sat at several different times of the year.

Online SAT tests will be taken in school or test centres. The digital SAT will be shorter—about two hours instead of three; it will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each; and passages will reflect a wider range of topics. Students will be allowed calculators for the maths section of the exam. SAT scores will be announced within days, rather than weeks, of students sitting their tests. 

After the College Board piloted online SATs in the US in 2021, 80% of students responded that they found it to be less stressful and 100% of educators reported having a positive experience.

Priscilla Rodriguez, Vice President of College Readiness Assessments at College Board said:

"The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant.

"We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”

There's an expectation that Advanced Placement (AP) exams, also run by the College Board, may also move online – and it has been done before. In 2020 and 2021, AP tests were offered in 45-minute online exams while schools were closed due to Covid-19.

The move has been welcomed by many American schools worldwide. Kathy Abel, Director of Learning Innovation at American International School (AIS) in Hong Kong explains why:

"With the SAT going digital for international students in the Spring of 2023, we're hoping it'll be a positive move! The College Board is promising a more positive experience for students, including a shorter exam, quicker turnaround times for scores, and more connections to alternative paths post high school.

"Schools will also have more flexibility with test dates and the number of test administrations we can offer during the school year. For me personally, I'm pleased that digital testing will be a much greener option--less paper waste and a reduced carbon footprint since there will no longer be a need to ship hundreds of thousands of exams around the world! We're hopeful this will be a good change, and that maybe AP Exams will follow suit in the future."

The College Board may be the the first to make the move to online, but other international exam boards are also preparing for a possible change to digital assessment. In the UK, more than 2,000 students will trial online GCSEs this spring, as part of a pilot run by the UK's largest exam board, AQA.

The director-general of the International Baccalaureate (IB), Olli-Pekka Heinonen, has said that the organisation is looking at how it could bring digital assessment to its Diploma Programme. Speaking to TES in January, Mr Heinonen said that "Digital assessment can open doors to a model that supports learning better than the traditional model…We are trying to create the conditions for us to move to that."

The IB already offers optional eAssessment as part of the Middle Years Programme (MYP), where students are externally assessed through online exams in maths, language and literature, sciences and individuals and societies – something it has done since 2016.

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The College Board has announced to conduct SAT digitally, from the year 2023. The current mode of paper and pencil tests has transitioned into digital keeping in mind the COVID pandemic that brought a shift towards online learning. Digital SAT has come up with several student friendly changes which we will discuss as we proceed with the article. The Digital SAT will be easier to take and relevant for today’s time. 

As most of you must be knowing, Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is a standardized test for students aiming to pursue undergrad degrees from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asian countries like Singapore and India. 

SAT scores show the cognitive ability and college readiness of the students as curriculum differs from board to board, country to country. High SAT scores indicate strong academic ability of the student.

Some of the renowned and high ranked Indian universities have also recently started accepting the SAT scores for undergrads admissions. So going for SAT Coaching enables students to ensure high SAT scores and greater assurance of admits in desired universities.

Features of Digital SAT

New features have been introduced while retaining the important features of SAT. Digital SAT will be more relevant and secure, and it will also be easier to take the test. 

Here’s an overview of the features of Digital SAT.

Shorter Time Duration 

Digital SAT will be shorter in time duration than the paper and pencil mode. Earlier the exam was of 3 hours, now the exam duration will be 2 hours 14 minutes.

Computer-Adaptive Bisectional Test

The New Digital SAT will be a Computer-Adaptive Bisectional Test. This means that the test will not be the same for everyone. The questions in the second section of the test will be aligned according to the responses the student provides in the first section of the test.

Combined Reading and Writing Section

Digital SAT will have a single section of Reading and Writing. Earlier there used to be separate sections. Although these sections will be merged, the test will continue to evaluate college-readiness, which would enable the score accepting bodies to arrive at an informed decision about the Test Taker’s profile. The core skills tested in this section will include comprehension, content knowledge, and syntactical accuracy among others.

Calculators are Allowed 

In Digital SAT math section, calculators are allowed in the math section. The test also eliminates separate time test portions in the math section.  Students can use their own calculator on the test day or else they can use the graphing calculator built directly into the testing application. You can approach SAT online coaching to get more information about the tools. 

The Length of In-context Questions has been Reduced 

There is a reduction in the length of in-context questions or word problems. These in-context questions are useful in the Math section as it measures the math skills and knowledge of the candidate. The skills and knowledge will be applicable to academic and the real world.

Shorter Passages

In the reading and writing section of digital SAT, there will be many shorter passages instead of long ones. The shorter passages will be less complex to read and analyse. Every passage will have a single question instead of several questions asked from longer passages.

Secure Test 

 It will be impossible to share answers during the digital SAT test which was otherwise possible in the paper and pencil test.

7 Test attempts in a Year 

The digital SAT will be held 7 times a year instead of 5 in all international locations including India. As such students will have two extra chances to appear or reappear for SAT.

Faster Results

Test scores for digital SAT will be faster than the previous SAT. Students will get to their scores within days instead of weeks.

Digital SAT will utilise these new features to make the test more accurate and reliable. Every section of the test has content specification that focuses on the student’s attainment of knowledge. The new features will be beneficial for students taking this test.

We have got an overview of Digital SAT. Let us now have a look at the format and delivery details for the Digital SAT.

Format of Digital SAT

Digital SAT is divided into two categories - Reading and Writing Section and Math Section. We shall look into details such as format, test length, time per stage, total number of questions, total time allotted, etc. for both the categories. 

Reading and Writing Section

Reading and writing section for SAT has two modules. Each module consists of 25 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions. Both the sections get 32 minutes per stage. In all this section has 54 questions and a total time of 64 minutes is allotted for both the modules.

Math Section

The Math Section also has two modules. The 1st and 2nd modules consist of 20 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions. Both the sections get 35 minutes per stage. This section has 44 questions, and a total time of 70 minutes is allotted to solve all the questions.

College Board’s Digital SAT Testing Application

The Digital SAT will be administered on College Board’s Digital Testing Application. This application is built to prioritise the features focussing on the requirements of the students and the educators. This application includes tools like testing timer, calculator, mark for review, reference sheet and annotation. Students will also have the access to exam app preview. This tool will help students get acquainted to the central features of the assessment and get familiarized with the kind of questions expected in SAT. Students can also try the testing tools to see how this digital exam works.This app is a good support for Test Preparation for SAT.

We have tried to give a complete overview of Digital SAT through this article. Study abroad aspirants looking for SAT coaching in Nagpur are welcome to join the KC Academy for standardized tests coaching offered by KC Overseas Education.

KC’s veteran and skilled trainers will help you acquire the scores you require to land in your dream university. 

KC Overseas Education, one of the fastest growing edtech companies, offers hands on learning experience to all its students. KC’s Academy simplifies your test preparation, gives access to top quality test prep material, and provides mock tests. 

Those who need extra support get an added advantage to re-attend the next SAT batch for selected topics. 

Students who are not from Nagpur can attend our online coaching batches from any part of the world and gain the same experience as those attending the in-class sessions.

Approach KC for Test preparation for SAT and ace your SAT scores to study overseas.

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