The College Board announced earlier this year that the SAT college admissions exam will be completely digital by 2024, in addition to being one hour shorter.
The SAT test, which is currently a three-hour exam, was launched in 1926 and has always been administered on paper.
By 2024, students in the U.S. will take the SAT on a computer and the test will be two hours; international students will transition to the new test a year earlier.
The new test will feature shorter reading passages with fewer questions, and students will also be allowed to use a calculator on all portions of the math section.
The change to the SAT comes as more colleges have waived standardized-testing requirements for applicants as a result of the pandemic.
Counselor Allison Scercy said the new test—particularly with its shorter length—may be less anxiety-inducing for students, as well as more relevant.
“I like that they have shortened the test. I have hope that it will help alleviate some stress. I also like that you will be able to use a calculator during the entire math section since that more accurately reflects math tests at school,” she said.
Math teacher Aaron Ideus agrees with Scercy that the changes should benefit students.
“The shorter time frame will be nice. I believe this will allow for more testing to occur and for students to more easily find times to take the test. The only drawback I can see is that everyone must have a device,” he said.
Senior Stefany Patino-Martinez, who took the SAT as a junior, questions, though, whether the new format will ultimately benefit test-takers.
“Different students have different opinions and experiences from the SAT, although I think that going digitally is probably not the best choice. Personally, I think students would focus more on the test seeing it on a paper rather than on a screen,” Patino-Martinez said.
