SAT College Entrance Exam Switching to Digital Format
The SAT college entrance exam is moving to a digital format, and the Richmond County School District will host an information session next week to get students and parents prepared.
No more number 2 pencils for test takers. All college-bound students will have to switch to an onscreen-only format when taking the entrance exam starting this March.
The College Board, the nonprofit that runs the SAT and PSAT programs, says the switch to digital testing makes the SAT easier to take, easier to administer and more relevant. The time limit, however, will be shortened from three hours to roughly two hours and 45 minutes.
Changes from the Written to the Digital Test
- The number of test sections has been streamlined from three (reading, writing and language, and math) to two (reading and writing, and math).
- The digital test will be scored differently. A student’s performance on the first module of each exam section will trigger the software to provide a second module that is either easier or more difficult. Correct answers to harder questions will earn more points.
- Exams will still be scored on a 1,600-point scale.
- Students will get their scores in days. With the pencil-and-paper format, scoring took weeks.
Tips for Taking the Digital SAT
- Buy an up-to-date study guide. These books usually include practice tests.
- Make sure you’re familiar with graphing calculators. Test takers will be able to use their own device during the SAT’s math portion or use the Desmos calculator that’s built into the Bluebook app.
- Answer every question.
Richmond County School System Offering a Virtual District-Wide SAT Information Night
The Richmond County School System is hosting a virtual district-wide SAT information night on Tuesday, January 23, at 6 p.m.
The event will be live streamed at rcboe.info/48uW2qc.
“The school system has a number of resources available to assist students as they prepare for life after high school. This Information Session on the digital SAT is one component of our efforts to ensure all students are ready for the new test format and are able to demonstrate their academic capabilities to colleges and universities,” said Charlie Tudor, Advanced Studies Program Administrator.
