The once paper-pencil SAT has switched to a completely digital test—and it’s a beneficial change.
As a senior in high school, I have been taking the PSAT/SAT since the eighth grade. I have taken both the original paper SAT and the first administration of the digital SAT on March 9th. After taking both, it is clear that the digital SAT has many advantages over its older version.
Many juniors at WHS feel the same after recently taking the SAT on April 10th, 2024. One junior stated, “It was definitely a matter of time switching to a digital SAT. It gets graded faster, it’s easier to take the test, and the sections are less time-consuming.”
Compared to the previous 3 hours and 15-minute time length, the digital SAT has been cut down an entire hour. A shorter test means less exhaustion for test-takers, which is especially important since students usually take the test early in the morning. According to MedicalNewsToday, cognitive fatigue is defined as a “decline in cognitive performance when engaging in tasks that require sustained mental activity.” Cognitive fatigue can burden students during long tests, especially one that is greater than 3 hours. Multiple hours of continuous focus and brain power use is taxing, so a 2-hour test compared to a 3-hour one equates to less cognitive fatigue for students.
Being shorter in almost every aspect, the digital SAT is a whopping 56 questions shorter than its paper counterpart. It comes in at 98 total questions compared to the previous 154.
Continuing onto the further shortenings of the digital SAT, there are major advantages to the Reading and Math sections. The best part of the changes to the Reading sections is the elimination of long texts that prompt multiple questions. Paper SAT-takers are familiar with the portion of the Critical Reading section that presented extensive essays in which students applied grammar rules, moved sentences around, and utilized other reading skills all pertaining to the same text. Now, digital SAT Reading and Writing passages are no longer than 1-2 paragraphs long. The shortened texts make it easier for students to focus on the main ideas of the text since there is less information. They also allow test-takers to answer the questions much quicker as they do not have to flip between pages or scan an absurdly long passage looking for evidence
One WHS junior stated, “I could really focus on the questions more with less reading (the full articles always threw me off) and I could do the math problems quicker with the digital calculator than the physical one.”
The best part of the modifications to the Math section is the permitted use of a calculator on the entirety of it. Previously, the SAT Math had a no calculator and calculator section, but the digital SAT permits students to use a calculator for all the math questions. Being able to use a calculator does not necessarily make the test easier, but it does make solving problems much quicker.
Apart from the benefit to test-takers, the digital SAT has positive environmental benefits. With the elimination of the paper test, the digital SAT reduces waste since it is taken on a computer or iPad and only one piece of scratch paper is used. According to College Board, 1.9 million students in the class of 2023 took the SAT in high school. This means more than 100 million sheets of paper were used, according to Saratoga Falcon. By switching to a digital, non-paper test, College Board is reducing its carbon footprint. Bluebook also offers free, digital SAT practice for students, which eliminates the need for paper SAT practice books.
Despite these advantages, some students at WHS have mixed feelings about the digital SAT. One junior said, “I did like the paper but the digital is easier.” It may take many years for the new test to feel normal for students who have taken the paper one for so long.
Critics of the digital SAT may also point out the difficulties that arise from adaptive testing: since the questions get progressively harder as students answer more questions correctly, the test can feel more difficult and thus increase testing nerves.
One junior expressed that critique, saying, “I don’t like how it’s adaptive.”
I agree that the adaptive feature did make the digital SAT feel much harder as I progressed to both second sections; however, adaptive testing has benefits for students and schools. According to Cambridge CEM, adaptive tests can help schools establish a baseline measure of ability in a way that is inclusive and can accommodate the full range of student abilities. Adaptive tests account for the diversity of student abilities. By accommodating for students’ knowledge base, the adaptive digital SAT lets students not spend too long on difficult questions or waste time on easy questions.
College Board ensures that the digital SAT is standardized in the same way that the paper one was—a relief for digital test-takers who fear their scores may be drastically different from their paper test scores.
For the future of standardized testing, the digital SAT is a large step in the right direction. The new SAT is the revolutionary accommodation for today’s digital society.
