SAT Test Preparation

Students will be able to register for the first digital SAT administrations at international test centers starting in fall 2022. We’ll share more information about registration and administration dates later this year.

College board is administering the digital SAT first at international test centers in spring 2023. It will then be offered in the U.S. beginning in spring 2024. Most students who take the SAT do so for the first time in the spring of their junior year. So, for students testing internationally, those in the class of 2024 will be the first to take the digital SAT. In the U.S., students in the high school class of 2025 will be the first class to take the digital SAT. 

Students everywhere will take the digital PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT starting in fall 2023. They will take the PSAT 10 starting in spring of 2024.

Students will take the SAT on a laptop or tablet, using a custom-built digital exam application that they’ll download in advance of test day.

Students can join Chaajao’s Live Classes and prepare from the provided material.

Currently, if one test form is compromised, it can mean canceling scores for whole groups of students. Going digital allows us to give every student a unique test form, so it will be practically impossible to share answers.

The digital SAT will be shorter than the current paper and pencil test—around two hours instead of three. It will include two sections (Reading and Writing, Math) with a break in between.

Further, the overall test day experience will be shorter since most pre administration activities, such as downloading the exam application and completing the student questionnaire, will happen in advance of test day. Also, testing staff won’t need to spend time handing out, collecting, or sorting test materials.

Students can take the digital SAT Suite on a laptop or tablet. They can use a personal device or a school-issued device.

If a student doesn’t have a device, they can request to borrow one from College Board, and they’ll provide one to use on test day. This applies for students taking the SAT on the weekend internationally as well as in the U.S.

College board has built the exam application to withstand internet outages. If the internet disconnects during testing, students will still be able to progress through the test with no disruption—all their work will be saved, and they won’t lose testing time.

College board will have dedicated customer service resources ready to troubleshoot issues for students and test centers. College board is also introducing the role of technology monitor for each test center. Technology monitors staff a help room where they use our simple troubleshooting tips to assist students.

The digital testing application will include many test tools for students. Here are some examples:

• A way to flag questions in order to come back to them later.
• A countdown clock, which students can choose to show or hide at the top of their testing screen, which will alert them when they’re running out of time.
• A built-in graphing calculator students can use on the entire math section (or they can bring their own calculator).
• A reference sheet, for each math question, consisting of common formulas.

Scores will be delivered much faster with the digital SAT Suite, in days instead of weeks.

The SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale, and educators and students can continue to monitor growth across the suite over time. And scores on the SAT will mean the same thing, so a score of 1050 on the digital SAT corresponds to a score of 1050 on the paper and pencil SAT.

The pandemic has accelerated our transition to offering a digital SAT Suite of Assessments. Students are now doing more of their learning and testing digitally, and the SAT shouldn’t be the exception. College board is listening to input and adapting to ensure College board continues to meet the needs of students and educators.

College board is not just putting the current SAT Suite on a digital platform, though. They’re taking full advantage of what it means to deliver an assessment digitally. Going digital allows us to offer much more flexibility in terms of when, where, and how often the SAT is given, particularly for states, districts, and schools offering the SAT to all their students as part of SAT School Day. School Day is an important driver of access and equity and has been shown to lead to higher college-going rates for low-income and rural students.

Yes, students will be provided scratch paper and can bring a pen or pencil.

The weight placed on SAT scores varies from school to school. Colleges and universities also consider high school grade point average and academic transcript, letters of recommendation, interviews, and personal essays when deciding on admissions. In addition, virtually all U.S. colleges and universities will accept ACT scores in lieu of SAT scores. For more specific information about the weight of your scores, contact the admissions offices of the schools to which you will apply.

SAT registration deadlines fall approximately 5 weeks before each test date. To register by mail, fill out the registration form in the College Board’s Bulletin for the SAT Program. You can also register online at www.collegeboard.com.

Yes, but it is not required.