College Board’s digital SAT has many changes from its former paper version, which we cover in depth in this article. Now that it’s been going for a few months, we’re going to look over how our students have performed on this test, and what we’ve learned from helping them prepare for it.
The SAT remains an integral part of the college admissions process, especially as more and more colleges end their test optional policies. We hope that our observations will help you when you are preparing for your own test taking journey, and ease the stress that often comes along the way.
The Shorter Time Helps Everyone
One of the most obvious differences is that the new digital SAT is closer to two hours in length than the previous three. This is great for students, as part of the difficulty associated with the SAT was the length alone. A three hour test is something of an endurance exercise, and even the best students feel drained by the end.
Two hours isn’t short by any means, but it is significantly shorter, and this is far less draining for the students sitting for it. This decreases the number of trivial mistakes students make, as they are more alert by the end of the test, and not as worn down as they would be otherwise.
The shortened time also makes doing practice tests earlier. One of the best ways to study for a test is to do the whole thing, simulating the testing experience. This was often a pain with the older version of a test, as a three hour time commitment is a serious chunk of your weekend gone. Two hours is still a commitment, but feels far more manageable for students and tutors alike.
The Digital Format is Divisive
We are living in a digital age, and it’s no surprise that the SAT is joining the trend. That said, students are divided on whether or not they like the new digital approach. It mostly comes down to a matter of preference; some students will always enjoy the more tactile experience of a paper test, and the opportunities it affords test takers.
It is, afterall, much easier to flip physically back and forth through the pages of a test than to navigate to different screens to reach questions you may have missed. Some students also liked the chance to mark up the tests, checking off questions they had completed or marking ones they wanted to return to. You can still do this on scratch paper, but it isn’t the same.
Some students find the new format simpler however, and more in line with what they’re used to. So much schoolwork is done digitally nowadays that this isn’t the most surprising. Whether or not this is good for you is entirely down to personal preference. If you find you just do better when taking a paper test, then the ACT may be a better option for you.
The Perception of Difficulty
Students report that the first section of the test, and the first questions they answer, feel much easier, while the second section feels much harder. This is intentional on the part of the SAT, but it’s good to know that their design choices are having the desired effect.
All of our students have scored high enough to reach the harder secondary section, and it is likely the sudden shift in difficulty between the two which makes for this perception. If they saw the first section as difficult, then we didn’t do a good job preparing them for the test.
This new design means that even some of the smartest students will see problems that challenge them, if only one or two of them, while students at a lower level will not be worn down by an excessive number of problems they are not prepared for. Thus each student has a test which better suits their strengths and needs.
This also improves student confidence in themselves when taking the test. If you do get some early questions wrong, you are routed to an easier section, making sure you can avoid the brutally difficult questions which make some students quail. This helps student morale, which has a noticeable benefit for their overall performance on the test.
A Lack of Practice Materials
Due to the relatively new nature of the digital SAT, and its entirely new format, there is a relative lack of practice materials out there for it, especially when compared to what was accessible for the paper SAT. This is understandable; creating good practice materials takes time, and College Board has released a number of practice tests already. However this lack of practice materials does make things more challenging for students.
There are a number of third party practice materials out there, but they are of variable quality, and are not as useful for studying as officially released materials. This doesn’t mean they are useless, but we recommend not spending money on them. Khan Academy’s free materials are as good as any you can pay for.
College Board has announced they will be releasing more practice materials as time goes on, but this is a slow process. Students who prefer to study extensively may do better on the ACT in the interim.
Our Student Results
The new SAT is still graded on a bell curve, with the weight of each question depending on the round of testing. It is possible to miss a question and still receive a perfect score, depending on the difficulty of the question and the relative success of all those taking the test.
While scoring is more adaptable on a digital test, the College Board wants to keep success rates steady, so that a score of 1500 on the new test means the same as a score of 1500 on the old one. Whether or not this is quite accurate is uncertain, but they are keeping the percentage of students scoring highly relatively stable.
Our students have seen a great deal of success on the new SAT; while some did prefer the paper version, all scored quite highly, and all were able to take the more difficult second portion of the test. Studying for this new test went smoothly; indeed the shorter nature of it made taking and reviewing practice tests easier, and scheduling them around other activities simpler.
Overall, the digital SAT has introduced some challenges, but our test prep experts have succeeded just as they always have, and have helped students prepare for every aspect of the new SAT. For our general guide to studying for these tests, see our article on the secrets of test prep.
Final Thoughts
The SAT has long been a part of the college admissions process, and has evolved alongside it. This is merely the latest step in that evolution, another round of tweaks and updates and changes; while it is more significant than most, the place and purpose of the SAT remains unchanged.
We hope this article has given you insight into what we’ve learned so far from the changes to the SAT, and our students’ experiences taking it. This is anecdotal of course, but all data is useful. If you want help preparing for your own SAT (or the ACT), our test prep services are right for you. Schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help you achieve the score you need on the SAT, and any other help you might need with the application process. We help students raise their scores by 180 points on average, and are always happy to hear from you.
