#SAT/ACT Testing

The College Board has announced this morning that they are launching a computer-based version of the SAT starting in March 2024. This means that, in the United States, students who are in 9th grade or younger during the current 2021-2022 school year will take the Digital SAT, while 10th and 11th graders will be taking the paper and pencil version.

Current international 10th graders will take the Digital SAT, but international 11th graders will take the paper and pencil version.

While College Board has not answered all of our questions about the new test, below are the highlights of what they have revealed:

Digital Format:
  • The Digital SAT can be taken on a laptop or tablet.
  • Students may use their own device or a school device.
  • Students will still take the test at a school or testing center–not at home.
  • For schools with limited resources, College Board will provide devices for testing.
  • The test will be computer-adaptive, like the GRE and GMAT. This means that students will receive different questions later based on how they performed on the test’s earlier questions.
  • The paper and pencil version of the SAT will not remain an option unless students qualify for accommodations.
  • If a student loses power on their device, the test will pause and the student may reboot and resume the test.
Test Content:
  • The Digital SAT will be about two hours long–about an hour shorter than the current roughly three hour paper and pencil iteration.
  • The basic content covered by the exam will not change.
  • Each section of the test will be delivered in two “modules.”
  • The Reading passages will be shorter, and Math questions will be less wordy than on the current test.
  • A calculator will be permitted for the entire Math section, whereas the current Math section is split between a Calculator and No Calculator portion.
  • The test interface will provide a built-in calculator and timer.
Score Reports:
  • Scores will remain on the 1600 scale.
  • Score Reports for the Digital SAT will be available “in days” rather than two Fridays after the test was administered.
  • Score Reports will contain information to connect students with local two-year colleges and workforce training programs.
Timing of Release:
  • The 2023 PSAT will be in the digital format.
  • The March 2024 SAT will be the first Digital SAT available in the U.S. International students will be taking the Digital SAT as of March 2023.
  • Full-length practice tests in the digital format will be made available as of fall 2022.
For International Students: 
  • The Digital SAT format will allow College Board to offer seven international test dates, rather than the five now offered. This means that November and June will be available starting in 2023. (Dates will remain the same in the U.S.