The SAT is one of the most popular tests taken by students planning to apply to colleges in the United States. The College Board has confirmed that from 2023 onwards, the SAT will be computerized. The pandemic has trained us all to adapt to studying and taking exams online. It is predicted that the number of SAT takers using the digital format in 2023 will rise due to the test’s increased convenience.
Digital SAT
Get to know what the digital SAT is, how it is different from the current SAT, how it will be scored, and how you can prepare for it!
What is digital SAT?
The digital SAT is an online adaptation of the standard SAT. This is a good step since it highlights the necessity and importance of standardized testing in the post-COVID age.
The good news is that most students found it to be simpler and more intuitive during the pilot test. The College Board implied that it is “easier to browse” and “easier to respond without growing weary” when they said the digital version of the test is more “intuitive.”
The digital SAT interface will feature a student clock to make it simpler for test-takers to keep track of time. There will be tools for highlighter, strikethrough, and marking for review. Thanks to a built-in calculator and a reference function, test takers will have all the resources they need to solve questions in one place, without having to navigate them on multiple devices.
How will the SAT be scored and when should you expect results?
The results will be reported using the 1600 scale. Due to the digital nature of the test, score reports will be sent in days rather than weeks as per the current test version. You will be able to send the test scores to your desired universities like you can in the current format of SATS.
How is it different?
The digital SAT will last for two hours as opposed to the current SAT’s three hours. In addition to the reduced test timing, the test will allow for more time per question in total. However, the main test content modifications that have been announced thus far are as follows:
- Shorter reading passages that just have one question to be answered.
- A wider range of college-level literary excerpts that students feel more engaged with. The new SAT exam is anticipated to include texts from the humanities and social sciences that explore more contemporary issues in the environment, finance, and economics.
- The use of calculators will be allowed throughout the maths section. There will not be any non-calculator based maths sections in the digital SAT.
How to prepare for the digital SAT?
You’ll have plenty of time to improve your reading, writing, and language skills in addition to your mathematical abilities if you plan to take the SAT in 2023. Start immediately and follow these tips:
- Focus on making real advancements in every area of study. Don’t be hesitant to evaluate your development using sample SATs and trying previous year’s questions.
- You don’t always have to practice with full-length exams, but you can try to get a perfect score by solving the writing, language, and maths sections on practice exams.
- Before starting to read, focus on building a solid foundation of comprehension skills and an understanding of current world issues.
Reading, language, and maths competence for college have consistently been the focus of the SAT over the years. There are no changes to that, but here are some tips on how to start getting ready for the 2023 digital SAT in each skill area.
1. MATH
- Start putting all of the SAT maths concepts you currently know to practice.
- Pay close attention to the geometry and trigonometry questions on the ACT official test.
- Facts and formulas are important in maths. They help you respond to the questions more quickly and accurately. So make it a point to commit the formulas and facts to memory.
2. LANGUAGE AND WRITING
- Grammar and punctuation standards on standardized tests are not going to be eliminated any time soon. So, to prepare for language and writing:
- Utilize acceptable resources when studying all of the grammar subjects on the current SAT.
- Pay attention to your spelling and punctuation.
3. READING
Given the change in the types of excerpts in the reading section, here is how you could prepare for it!
- Focus on expanding your general reading comprehension.
- Begin reading up on a range of humanities and science-related subjects.
- Learn about current geopolitical and environmental developments by reading editorials.
- Try forming opinions rather than just being a passive consumer of information.
How can Rostrum Education help?
It was just a matter of time until standardized assessments were digitized as well, given the Ed-tech sector’s recent revolution. Considering that we already have the necessary tools for ACT preparation, Rostrum Education was ready for any modifications to the adaptability of standardized testing. We offer a uniquely adaptive and personalized learning platform that aids students from around the world in achieving their ideal scores and greatly improves the effectiveness of the preparation process. Our tutors will acquaint you with the modified structure of reading passages while also providing multiple mock tests. To learn more, get in touch with us for a free consultation today!
