SAT 2024 and beyond to become more manageable with digital transformation

The College Board announced the re-designing of its SAT Suite of Assessments. The changes in SAT exam format run in the direction of making the exam length shorter, adding more diversity in terms of topics and allowing calculators to solve the entire math section. The current test duration will last around two hours instead of three. It opened doors for many international students who will now be eligible for seven attempts throughout the year compared to the previous five. 

The SAT is a standardised test through which students can procure admissions to colleges in the USA. Earlier, the examination used to be conducted in pen and paper mode. As per the exam conducting board, the transition in the SAT exam format intends to make the exam more accessible to the students. The digitisation of the SAT exam will take place internationally at the commencement of the year 2023. It will get delivered digitally in the US from 2024. The new format of the SAT examination aligns with the digital learning to which the students are now well accustomed. Students can take their laptops and tablets to the centre, but they need to log in to the monitored testing site on their device for taking the test. The test centres will provide laptops to those students who do not own the devices. 

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A more diverse range of topics will be included in the reading passages, which will get shorter, and calculators will be permitted for use in the entire math section. Students will now not have to wait for weeks to view their scores as the results will get published within a few days, which is much faster than before. Moreover, in alignment with the US market, the international students would now have seven opportunities throughout the year compared to the previous permit of 5.  

According to the Vice President of college readiness assessments at the College Board, Priscilla Rodriguez, “The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant. 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.”

“It felt a lot less stressful and a whole lot quicker than I thought it’d be. The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil.”, said Natalia Cossio, an 11th-grader from Fairfax, Virginia.

Amid the ongoing criticisms that SAT favours the affluent class, white applicants and intended to exclude the minority and low-income students, colleges in the US have made the test optional. This has given students the option to decide if they want to include their SAT scores and application. However, a survey by the College Board found that students prefer to sit for the SAT examination since that makes them eligible to apply for certain scholarships. 

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