In a statement posted on its website, the College Board announced that it will be taking the SAT fully online after successfully testing it in November.
“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at the College Board.
“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.”
The digital conversion is not the only change. The new test will take two hours to complete instead of three.
Students can use calculators for the entire Math portion. Previous versions prohibited calculators in some sections.
The passages featured in the Reading section will be shorter and will include only one question each. They will more closely resemble works that students are taught in their classrooms.
In another change, scores will be made available to students and their teachers in days instead of weeks.
The changes were implemented due to the positive reception of the November 2021 digital test. According to the College Board, 80 percent of students and 100 percent of educators reported positive experiences.
“It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it’d be,” said one Virginia student. “The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil.”
One noticeable absence in the new statement was whether or not the average fee for taking the SAT will change. According to a previous post updated in June of 2021, the price of taking the SAT during the 2021-2022 school year is $55, not including regional fees for international students.
The new digital-only version of the SAT will begin being distributed internationally in 2023, with U.S. distribution beginning in 2024.
