The SAT Goes Digital

After decades of paper and pencil exams, the SAT has made the leap to digital testing. While there are many benefits to the digital exam, there are definitely some drawbacks when you compare it to the paper version.

Pros:

Shorter test

Built in calculator

Timer on the screen

Scores come out sooner

Reading passages are shorter

Math appears to be very similar to the old version

Cons:

It’s difficult to mark up reading passages

Lack of practice material

Reading passages are shorter but appear to be much harder

The College Board is not transparent about scoring

Who will take the digital SAT?

This version of the test will be available to US based students starting in the spring of 2024, so current sophomores and younger will see this version of the SAT

Can it be taken at home?

No – the digital SAT must be taken at an official test center.

Should I or my student take the digital SAT or stick with the ACT?

I recommend taking a practice digital SAT and ACT and comparing the results. If you scored higher on the SAT, then that’s probably the better test for you. If you scored the same on both or if you scored higher on the ACT, then I would recommend the ACT (I recommend the ACT for borderline scores, since we have a lot more practice material available for that test).

For those of you interested our classes or tutoring, we have our summer schedule post on our site:

Online classes: https://www.lockwoodtestprep.com/online
In person classes: https://www.lockwoodtestprep.com/crash

One on one tutoring: https://www.lockwoodtestprep.com/tutoring