SAT to be offered entirely digitally starting in 2024
The College Board announced Tuesday that the SAT will be offered entirely digitally in the U.S. starting in 2024.
The college admissions exam will continue to be offered in schools or test centers with a proctor present, but it will be taken on a laptop, tablet or school-issued device instead of on paper, according to a news release from the nonprofit organization overseeing the test. Also, the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally in 2023 and the PSAT 10 in 2024.
The College Board launched a pilot program with the digital SAT in the U.S. and internationally in November. The board said that a virtual exam would keep educators from having to deal with packing, sorting or shipping test material and would provide more flexibility on when and how often the exam can be scheduled.
The board said the change also will make the exam more secure and harder to share answers as students will receive a unique test form. The digital test also has been designed to ensure students will not lose their work or time if they lose connectivity or power, according to the news release.
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“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at the College Board. “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform — We’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”
The College Board also will be making other changes to the SAT, including shortening the exam from three hours to two hours, reducing the length of reading passages and allowing calculators on the entire math section.
Scores will be provided within days, and score reports will provide students with information about two-year colleges, workforce training programs and career options. The SAT will continue to be scored on a 1600 scale, according to the College Board.
The changes come after many universities initially made the SAT and ACT optional during the COVID-19 pandemic as many test dates were canceled and students had difficulties taking the exams. Some schools such as Harvard University and the University of Wisconsin system have extended their optional testing policies for multiple years as students continue to face testing challenges posed by the virus.
Other schools, including the University of California system, recently scrapped the SAT and ACT requirement entirely, citing a goal to create a fairer admissions process for student applicants. System officials made the decision as they faced a lawsuit and criticism from students who argued that the SAT and ACT were biased against students of color.
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The University of Texas didn’t require high school students applying for fall 2021 or fall 2022 undergraduate admission to submit an ACT or SAT test score as part of their application. The university is still reviewing the requirement to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the undergraduate admission application for fall 2023 freshman applicants, according to its website.
“In a largely test-optional world, the SAT is a lower-stakes test in college admissions,” Rodriguez said. Submitting a score is optional for every type of college, and we want the SAT to be the best possible option for students. The SAT allows every student — regardless of where they go to high school — to be seen and to access opportunities that will shape their lives and careers.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: College Board plans to make changes, move SAT exam to digital in 2024
