Format, Timing, and Content Changes
The Class of 2025, who are currently sophomores, will be the first students in the US to take the online SAT. The PSAT being offered in October 2023 will be the first digital exam for US students followed by the March SAT in 2024.
Changes to the layout of the exam
The layout of the current paper test consists of four sections that are always in this order: Reading; Writing & Language; Math Without Calculator; Math With Calculator.
The NEW layout of the digital SAT consists of two sections: Reading / Writing and Math.
Within each section, there are two modules. This is where adaptive testing comes in.
Adaptive Testing
In the first module of each section, students will be presented with a combination of easy- and medium-level questions. Depending on how well a student performs in the first module, the second module will either include more complicated questions or the same easy-to-medium level questions.
“Can I Take a Paper Test Version?”
There are paper test versions of the digital test SAT that have ALL possible questions available. For official exams, the paper version is only available to students who have testing accommodations that prevent them from being able to take the test online.
Timing
The new digital SAT will be shorter because the test-taker is not required to answer all available questions due to its adaptability.
- Section 1: Reading / Writing Module 1 – 32 minutes
- Section 1: Reading / Writing Module 2 – 32 minutes
- 10 minute break
- Section 2: Math Module 1 – 35 minutes
- Section 3: Math Module 2 – 35 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 24 minutes
Content Changes: Reading / Writing
- Students will no longer be given a series of questions based on one or two long passages.
- There are no more dual passages.
- Students will be presented with one passage per question, and the passages are significantly shorter in length.
- Writing and Language questions, which used to make up its own section on the old SAT, are now mixed in with reading questions. For example, a student may be presented with five or six questions that each have their own reading passage and then be asked a couple grammar questions.
- One example of a new-style reading question is test-takers are presented with a series of research notes and then are asked which notes best prove or disprove a specific claim.
Content Changes: Math
- Calculator is allowed on the entire exam.
- A calculator tool is available from within the app as students are taking the test. Its functionality is closer to a scientific calculator than a graphing calculator. Most questions don’t require a calculator.
- “Grid in” or fill-in-the-blank questions are mixed in with multiple choice questions. The old test always included the grid-ins at the end of each math section.
Ready to start practicing? Learn how to take a digital SAT practice test on College Board’s Bluebook App