The SAT has a new look this year, instead of bubbling an answer in, students will be typing on a computer now. This year the SAT is digital and here are some changes on the SAT and how you can prepare for it.
In October New Hartford offered the digital version of the PSAT and according to senior high counselor Mr. Baldo, it went really well overall. One student reported a problem submitting and receiving scores, but other students had no problems.
“The test being shorter helps for not wasting the students’ Saturday” — Mr. Baldo
That was one big change: that the test is an hour shorter, according to NBC news.
There are some other changes to the SAT test format. Mr.Baldo says that adaptive testing is new.
“There are no set questions and it depends on how you do, ” he explains. There are also new built-in features like a calculator, a highlighter, etc. Now on the online test students can cross out answers that they don’t think are right which makes it easier for students.
“The digital test is more fair and more accessible,” says Mr.Baldo.
The test app is called Bluebook. In addition to the actual SAT, Bluebook allows students to take practice tests to prepare for the SAT and there are other websites that you can practice on like College Board. After the practice SAT on Bluebook students can access their scores and look at answer explanations through the app, according to the College Board website.
Another app to help students prepare is the Khan Academy website with high quality skill and knowledge building activities. Also if your school offers PSAT you can take them there, like New Hartford offers it.
“It was weird taking it on a computer because it’s something we aren’t really used to”
He feels like the written test was easier because it was in front of him and he prefers the written SAT.
— Junior Ian Evans
“Taking the digital SAT was definitely different from other tests”
— Junior Connor Adsit
Connor had an easier time navigating the program with the reference tables and a calculator changed the experience as a whole.
“The digital SAT was significantly shorter than the written test,” Connor Adsit said. Connor likes the digital version of the SAT, considering it was shorter and how different it feels taking the test on a computer, it was a better experience.
The digital SAT is a work in progress since sometimes the scores have had some technical difficulties, but the benefit is that it’s shorter and it provides accommodations for adaptive testing. Some people still like the written SAT and other people like the new digital SAT. It will take a couple years to fix these bugs and for people to get used to the new digital version.
