The Digital SAT Suite of Assessments

The SAT is going digital. College Board has announced that beginning in 2023, the digital SAT suite of assessments will be available to all students. They will make the transition to the digital SAT at international test centers in March of 2023 and at U.S. schools and test centers in spring of 2024. Additionally, all PSAT assessments will be administered digitally beginning in the fall of 2023.

Here’s what isn’t changing in regards to the digital SAT versus the original test. While the digital SAT Suite will bring a number of student- and educator-friendly changes, many important features of the SAT will stay the same.

• The digital SAT Suite will continue to measure the knowledge and skills that students are learning in school and that matter most for college and career readiness.
• The digital SAT will be scored on the same 1600 scale and educators and students can continue to track growth across the suite over time.
• The digital SAT will still be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present—not at home.
• Students will still have free world-class practice resources on Khan Academy® and full-length practice tests on the digital testing application.
• Students will continue to connect directly to scholarships.
• We’ll continue to support all students on test day with any accommodations they may require.

Here’s a breakdown of where to expect differences in the digital SAT. College Board says they are not just putting the current SAT on a digital platform—they’re taking full advantage of what it means to deliver an assessment digitally.

• Students can test on a personal device or a school-issued device. If students don’t have a device, we’ll provide one on test day.
• The digital SAT will be shorter, estimated to take about two hours instead of three and feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each.
• Students and educators will get the information they need to make key college decisions quicker with faster score delivery.
• Calculators are allowed on the entire math section. A graphing calculator will be built into the testing app or students can bring their own.
• Students get more relevant information. Digital score reports will also connect students to information on two-year colleges, careers, and workforce training programs.
• The SAT will be more secure and flexible, as each student will see a unique version of the test—and schools, districts, and states will have more flexibility in when to test.

Here’s what students are saying about the digital SAT:

• “It was really easy to work on the computer. The countdown timer was a great idea to let you know how to finish just in time.” –Naedjie, digital SAT pilot student, USA
• “The digital SAT was really efficient. I loved that I could go back to questions that I had flagged, since usually on paper I take extra time to find the questions I had missed.” –Claudina, digital SAT pilot student, Mexico
• “I found the pacing to be less strenuous and time was less of an issue with the digital test than with the regular SAT which I appreciated.” –Enoch, digital SAT pilot student, USA
• “I like how easy the setup was overall, the quick instructions on test day, and the VERY MUCH less stressful test format. It was way less stressful and had less cumbersome instructions.” –Danielle, digital SAT pilot student, USA

Below we’ve provided some frequently asked questions about the new SAT, along with College Board’s responses. For a full list of FAQ’s, please click here.

• Will the paper and pencil SAT still be available alongside the digital version? We are making a full transition to digital, so once we begin administering the SAT Suite digitally we will no longer offer a paper and pencil version of the tests, though we will continue to support students who test with accommodations that require a paper and pencil test.
• When can students register? Students will be able to register for the first digital SAT administrations at international test centers starting in fall 2022. College Board will share more information about registration and administration dates later this year.
• How will students take the exam? Students will take the SAT on a laptop or tablet, using a custom-built digital exam application that they’ll download in advance of test day.
• How will students practice? Students will practice for the SAT using Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy. Students can receive free practice—anytime, anywhere. SAT practice material will be added to Official SAT Practice in fall 2022.
• Is SAT School Day going digital, too? SAT School Day will be administered digitally starting in the spring of 2024. Today, 60% of all students who take the SAT take it for free in their school during the school day. Independent research shows that universal school day testing leads to higher college-going rates for low-income and rural students. Some schools already administer the current version of the SAT digitally for SAT School Day. All schools will start administering the new SAT in spring 2024.
• What if a student doesn’t have a device? If a student doesn’t have a device, they can request to borrow one from College Board, and we’ll provide one to use on test day. This applies for students taking the SAT on the weekend internationally as well as in the U.S. In 2020 and 2021, we provided a device for any student who needed one to take the digital AP Exam at home. We’ll implement a similar solution for the SAT. We’ll have more information about the process for requesting to borrow a device later this year.
• What happens if students have problems with their device or connectivity on test day? We’ve built the exam application to withstand internet outages. If the internet disconnects during testing, students will still be able to progress through the test with no disruption. If a student’s computer runs out of battery, they can simply plug in, restart their device, and pick up where they left off—all their work will be saved, and they won’t lose testing time.
• How will you address test day issues and technical support challenges? We’ll have dedicated customer service resources ready to troubleshoot issues on test day for students and test centers. We’re also introducing the role of technology coordinator for each test center to provide additional support.

For more information, you can visit College Board’s website by clicking here.

Does your child need help preparing for the SAT? Boston Tutoring Services can help. Please click here to see what services we offer.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services