- A student's academic foundation needs to be considered before other strengths and potential contributions.
- More reliable evidence is needed for admissions committees to evaluate students from all backgrounds.
More About the Digital SAT
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Unlike the previous SAT format, the Digital SAT will be taken on a laptop or tablet. Students will be using a custom-built digital exam application called Blue Book. This must be downloaded ahead of time if you're using your personal laptop.
The digital SAT format will contain two sections: Reading & Writing, and Math. The new exam will be adaptive, meaning the first module of each section will contain a broad mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Depending on how the student does on the first module, the second module will become more or less difficult.
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If students perform well in module 1, module 2 will be more challenging with hard/medium questions.
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If students perform not well, module 2 will be less challenging with easy/medium questions.
CollegeBoard has now fully transitioned to the digital format for both SAT and PSAT. Students can take the digital SATs on a wide range of devices, including their own laptops (Windows/MacOS), iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks.
There will still be continued support for students who test with accommodations that require a paper and pencil test.
Types of tools students will receive on the digital platform
Calculator
Reference Sheet
Timer
Review & Annotation
Calculator - A built-in graphing calculator is available in the entire Math section. (Students can also bring their own approved calculator.) Mark for Review - Students can flag and return to any question within a given test module they want to come back to later.
Testing Timer - A clock counts down the time remaining in each module. Students can hide the timer, and they get an alert when 5 minutes remain in the module.
Reference Sheet - In the Math section, students have access to a list of common formulas.
Review & Annotation - Students can highlight any part of a question and leave themselves a note. Students can flag and return to any question within a given test module they want to come back to later.
Reading & Writing Content Domains
FYI: Questions from all four domains appear in each test module. Questions within the Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, and Expression of Ideas content domains that test similar skills and knowledge are grouped together and arranged from easiest to hardest. Questions in the Standard English Conventions content domain are arranged from easiest to hardest regardless of which specific convention is being tested.
Craft & Structure
Measures the comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills and knowledge needed to understand and use high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make connections between topically related texts.
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Words in Context
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Text Structure and Purposes
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Cross-Text Connections
Breakdown: 28%
Question Count: 13-15
Math Content Domains
FYI: Questions from all four content domains appear in each test module. Across each module, questions are arranged from easiest to hardest, allowing each test taker the best opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do.
Algebra
Measures the ability to analyze, fluently solve, and create linear equations and inequalities as well as analyze and fluently solve equations and systems of equations using multiple techniques.
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Linear equations in one variable
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Linear equations in two variables
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Linear functions
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Systems of two linear equations in two variables
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Linear inequalities in one or two variables
Breakdown: 35%
Question Count: 13-15
SAT Total Scoring
The scoring scale is the same as the paper-bases SAT with each section worth 800 points for a total of 1600 points. Students will be measured from the raw score (the number of correct questions) to the scaled score (out of 800). The raw score does not take into account the difficulty level of the questions or provide any indication of your performance on the test. The raw score serves as the starting point in the scoring process and is subsequently converted into scaled scores using equating techniques. The scaled scores provide a standardized measure that takes into consideration the
Section Scoring
The student score report is used by students, parents, and educators to better understand student scores on a digital SAT test. The score report doesn’t just present students with their scores; it also helps them understand their own progress toward their postsecondary goals as well as how their scores compare to those of other students. In addition to scores, student reports include:
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Performance growth across the SAT Suite;
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Information on content areas and domains to help students pinpoint where to focus their practice to improve their scores, with links to practice resources;
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Score comparisons and percentile rankings for a variety of test-taker populations, including the student’s school, district, and state as well as all test-takers;
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Progress toward established benchmarks.
difficulty level of the specific test form and enables fair score comparisons across different test administrations. The two figures below show examples of scoring scales converting between percentiles to scaled scores.