SATs going digital, shrinking

The College Board announced on Tuesday that the SAT exam will transition to a virtual test in the U.S. beginning in 2024 and that it would be less time-intensive.

The exam, typically taken by pencil, will now be taken over a computer, the College Board said, which noted it would help make the exam more secure and make it even harder for students to cheat given that each student would be receiving a unique test.

The College Board noted that it would provide laptops for students to use if test takers do not have access to a computer themselves or through their school. However, the tests will still be administered at test centers or schools as previously conducted. 

The test will be taken by computer in 2023 for international students, and those changes are slated to take place in the U.S. in 2024, according to the College Board. 

The College Board also said that instead of having the test last three hours, it would now be slated for two hours with more time devoted to each question. Reading passages would be reflective of the types of literature students have read in classes and the new test will feature one question connected to each passage. 

The reading passages are also slated to be shorter than the others currently included in SAT tests, the College Board noted.

“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, said in a statement. “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”