Big Changes Coming to the SAT

Lauren Phillips

Red & Black contributor

The SAT is getting a drastic update, with a shorter digital format, adaptive questions, and numerous other changes expected to launch in 2024.

As many schools are moving away from an SAT requirement or not weighing it as heavily, students are still encouraged to participate in the updated test. The SAT, otherwise known as the “Scholastic Aptitude Test,” claims to predict college readiness by testing students on subjects pertaining to math and literature. However, many students find the test to be too stressful and dense in its material. In response to this, a staggering 1800 four-year colleges plan to make submitting SAT test scores optional for the 2022 fall semester. Finally, after many years of delivering the test by paper, the test will now follow a digital format that can be completed on a laptop or tablet device with updated questions.

These questions will now be “adaptive,” adjusting to the student’s performance based on the previous questions. This adjustment may seem minor, but the flexibility provided by the updated questions can better reflect students’ knowledge without a consistent increase in difficulty. Additionally, the test in its entirety will be shortened, now spanning a two hour period instead of the usual three hour window. Several other small changes, such as a calculator now being allowed for the entirety of the math portion, as well as embedded online tools, may make testing day less intimidating for students.

And fortunately, changes like these can make the test much more concise and readily available. Many students find difficulty in scheduling and planning these tests, though testing proctors will now have significantly less work to do, and can be more accommodating. Test results will also be available in a matter of days, allowing scores to be sent to colleges sooner. In a recent study, approximately 80% of participants found the new format to be less stressful, which will ideally translate to students taking the tests in the coming years and allow for a better, more accurate performance.

Courtesy michaelquirk via Getty Images SAT test prep was a staple of the high school experience - practice tests like the one shown above are just one of the many ways that students prepared for the exam.