What is the Digital SAT and when was it introduced worldwide?

Why take the SAT?

• To gain admission into undergraduate courses globally
• Helps obtain scholarships  
• Improves career prospects
• Makes up for lower GPAs
• Helps measure progress over time

What is the Digital SAT, and when was it introduced?

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test that the College Board conducts for applicants who want to apply for undergraduate courses in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others.           

Until the start of 2023, the SAT was taken using paper-based format. But on March 11, 2023, digital SAT was conducted for the very first time internationally. 

SAT’s new format 

With the introduction of the Digital SAT Exam 2023, the changes to the test are as follows. 

• Makes it accessible to students through technology.
• Students can take it on a laptop/tablet. 
• The reading passages, which will be shorter, will have more diverse topics.
•  Students can make use of calculators for the mathematics section.
• The exam scores will be made known within a few days.
• If students cannot access the internet connection for some time during the test, they can restart from the point they lost contact when it is restored.  

While in the earlier SATs, students had to solve the paper and give the solutions on an answer sheet, the digital SAT uses Bluebook, an app, where students can access the paper digitally to provide answers.

Differences between earlier SAT and digital SAT

The earlier version of the SAT comprised a section for English and a section for Math. The English section consists of Reading and Writing, while the Math section includes Calculator and Non-calculator. 

The digital SAT consists of two sections as well, which are separated into two modules each. Both the modules of English consist of 27 questions each and have time limits of 32 minutes. The modules of Math consist of 22 questions each, with 35 minutes being the time limit for both sections. 

The way the questions are designed is slightly different from the digital SAT. The digital SAT assesses your evidence-based skills in reading and language at the same time as opposed to concentrating on reading and writing skills separately. 

The English section now comprises smaller passages and only a single question is asked per passage, making it easier to discover the answer to the evidence-based questions with reduced search.

The question pattern of the Math section is similar to the paper-based SAT. However, the major change in the digital SAT is that students are allowed to use calculators in both modules, unlike one module in the past. 

In the Math section, the responses generated by students have now increased in the digital SAT in comparison to multiple choice answers.

If you are looking to take the SAT exam, get in touch with Y-Axis, a premier overseas immigration consultancy, to obtain professional coaching and guidance.

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