SAT Exam is Now Fully Digital
Today, the 9th of March, marks the introduction of a completely new structure for the SAT exam. Both the structure and scoring criteria of the SAT have undergone a 360-degree turn with SAT becoming fully digital. The new format and an all-new scoring chart are comparatively easier and less complicated than the earlier, lengthier version of the exam.
However, the news comes as a surprise for international students gearing up to apply for the 2025 spring and fall sessions.
Old SAT Exam vs. New SAT Exam
To begin, here’s a brief comparison between the old SAT format and the new one:
| Type of Change | Old SAT | New SAT |
| Format | Digital (on a Bluebook Application) | Pen and Paper |
| Time | 2 Hours 14 Minutes | 3 Hours |
| Break within the exam | 10 Minutes | |
| Use of Digital calculator | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Sections | 3-(reading, writing and language, math) | 2-(Reading & Writing and Maths) |
| Level of difficulty | Non-Adaptive | Adaptive |
| Flipping Back and Forth | Possible | Not Possible |
| Sections/Modules | Four Sections | 2 Modules |
| Total Score | Out of 1600 | Out of 1600 |
| Result time | Within Days | Within Weeks |
| Number of questions per sections | One | Multiple questions |
| Time Tracking | Digital Countdown Clock | Timed by a proctor |
Additional points highlighting the New SAT Exam:
- The new SAT is taken on a Bluebook tool created by the College Board for students to take all their digital exams, including the SAT exam. This Bluebook tool works alongside the Test Day Toolkit (a web app) used by the test staff to administer these tests. Along with the reduction in the overall time of the exam, it also allows students more time to answer each question, ensuring accuracy and better results.
- The questions tested on SAT 2024 are multiple-choice-based with 11 SPR (student-proposed response) type questions. Both sections of the new Digital SAT are divided into two modules, each of which has the same duration, with a break of 10 minutes between the two modules. In both exam sections, the candidate is expected to complete Module 1 before moving on to Module 2.
- The performance of the candidate in Module 1 on both SAT Reading and Writing and SAT Math will be used to generate the questions they receive in Module 2. Therefore, it can be stated that the exam taken by every test-taker will be different. Since every candidate will have different questions, the chances of cheating are minimal.
- The practice material available for the new Digital SAT is accessible online, and the link below can be used to access the various question types in the English Reading and Writing Module.
Despite the various positive aspects of the new Digital 2024 SAT exam, many people have expressed concerns about it. English teachers, in particular, are not all happy with the move to shorter reading passages. They believe that with so many distractions from technology, students should build up their ability to focus and read for longer periods.
This change has also not been welcomed by many colleges and universities, who have now dropped the requirement of SAT scores for admission.
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