Can You Take the SAT Online? A Guide to Computerized Testing (2023)

FAQs

Is it better to take SAT practice tests online or on paper? ›

There's no denying that having practice tests online definitely uses less paper and comparison after the exam on your part. With less or no paper, they're much easier to keep track of, both your answers and the results. Most programs will also grade them for you, showing what answers were incorrect or unanswered.

To sum it all up: the digital SAT is not designed to be easier than the pencil-and-paper SAT. However, some of the changes to the digital SAT may make accessing the exam, taking the exam, and receiving scores easier for students. But adjusting to the new digital SAT might mean you have to work harder, too.

In August 2022, we'll begin sending colleges and universities scores for a small number of students who are participating in our digital SAT® research studies. The scores from these studies are valid for use in any campus process for which the paper and pencil scores are used.

Starting in fall 2023, all students taking the PSAT-related assessments will take the digital tests. SAT School Day and SAT weekend administrations in the U.S. will still be paper and pencil. Starting in spring 2024, all students will take the full SAT Suite of Assessments digitally.

Yes, the digital SAT is easier than the paper-and-pencil version according to students who have taken the exam and experts at College Board. “The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” says the vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, Priscilla Rodriguez.

In online forums, students also tend to identify Test #3 as the hardest of the official practice tests, so there truly seems to be a clear consensus. It's important to remember though that a hard practice test can actually be a great resource!

The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a broader range of topics representing the works students read in college. SAT Reading contains six passages, each about 500 to 750 words long. Each passage has about ten questions linked to it.

Digital SAT is a computer-based test. SAT is a paper-based test. It is a bisectional test consisting of a Reading & Writing Section and a Math Section. It has 3 Sections consisting of Reading, Writing, and Math Sections.

Myth: The March SAT® is the easiest SAT test date. Fact: There's no such thing as “the easiest SAT test date.” While it's true that some versions of the SAT are easier than others, it's false that some test dates are predictably easier than others.

How to prepare for the Digital SAT? To ace SAT (or other standardized tests), you need to prepare, appear for full-length mock tests, review your mistakes and repeat. A mock test takes three hours and then evaluating your mistakes can take several hours.

What does the online SAT look like? ›

The digital test will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college. Calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section. Students and educators will get scores back in days, instead of weeks.

College Board has stated that digital testing will replace the paper materials and pencils currently required. A paper PSAT test will not be available starting in the fall of 2023, and a paper SAT test will not be available starting in the spring of 2024.

The SAT exam is offered by the College Board, which is a leading higher education advocacy and outreach organization. The SAT is the other most widely used college admission test. However, they do not offer online tests, but instead offer traditional paper format tests through their test centers.

Beginning in spring 2024 across America, and spring 2023 for international students, SAT takers will take the test on a computer. The College Board promises the test will still measure the same things, be scored on a 1600 scale, and be taken at testing centers or in schools.

There will be no overlap in the transition from paper to digital testing. Starting in spring 2024, the new adaptive, computer-based test will be the only way to take the SAT.

The SAT is transitioning to a computer adaptive test in 2023. The new digital SAT will cover the same content as the current paper version. However, the digital test will have an entirely new format and will be 46 minutes shorter than the current paper test.

The digital SAT School Day with Essay takes 4 hours 7 minutes (with breaks only) for each student. If a school includes a 30- minute lunch, test time is 4 hours 35 minutes. Note: Additional time is needed for pre-administration and post administrative activities.

It includes four sections: Reading, Writing & Language (English) and two Math sections. The test takes approximately three hours, not including breaks. There is also an optional Essay portion that lasts an extra fifty minutes at the end.

It's generally best to take the SAT in the fall or spring of your junior year and then again in the fall of your senior year.

Some questions on the SAT Math test may include concepts that seem unfamiliar to you, but don't worry–all the topics tested on the SAT Math test are taught in your typical high school Pre-algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus classes.

What Math topics are hardest on SAT? ›

Linear equations and inequalities and their graphs and systems. Problem Solving and Data Analysis: 29% of test, 17 questions. Ratios, proportions, percentages, and units; analyzing graphical data, probabilities, and statistics. Passport to Advanced Math: 28% of test, 16 questions.

Taking a standardized test can be an intimidating prospect, but practicing on Khan Academy can sharpen your skills, boost your confidence, and ensure that you're prepared for anything the test might throw at you.

A Shorter New SAT Exam

The SAT Exam will be held for two hours instead of three. Instead of four, there will now be only 2 sections — a reading and writing section and a Math section. The reading section will have shorter passages, and students must answer one question per the SAT reading passage.

In many ways, the new SAT is much easier than the older version. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't study and be prepared! While the format may be better for some students, the questions are still designed to test your ability and skills in each particular subject.

There are several reasons that the SAT is considered a more valuable admissions tool than your GPA. The most obvious is that the SAT is a standardized test. While your GPA compares you to the rest of your school, your SAT score compares you to the rest of the country. GPAs are not standard.

Each assessment in the digital SAT Suite is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section. Each section is composed of two equal-length modules of test questions.

Less selective public institutions, as well as many small liberal arts colleges, regularly accept applicants in the 950-1050 range. Public universities in your state might also accept residents with scores on the lower end of the scale depending on their policies and your other qualifications.

Try to take the SAT in August, October, or November. These three test dates should have little trouble getting your scores to colleges in time, assuming your earliest deadline is somewhere around January 1.

Although it's possible that you will earn a higher score without studying, even if you are a strong student, you will likely score slightly below the average SAT score of 1051. The SAT was designed to create a bell curve where the average score falls around 1000-1050 each year.

Is Digital SAT better? ›

The digital SAT will be more secure because each student will have a unique test form and will use their own or a school-issued device. Faster Score: Students will have access to their scores in days rather than weeks.

The first important thing to note is that every mathematics question on the SAT can be solved without a calculator. So if you are unfamiliar with using a calculator during math tests, don't try to force the issue during the SAT. Just solve those math problems the same way you've been doing them.

The total score is the sum of the two section scores; its range is 400–1600. Students receive scores in the range of 200–800 for each of two sections. An official student score report called “Your Score Report” is provided as a downloadable PDF for every SAT test taker.

How Long Does the SAT Take? The SAT clocks in at 3 hours (3 hours and 15 minutes with breaks). And if you choose to sign up for the optional essay, the SAT takes 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete (or 4 hours, 5 minutes with breaks).

Depending on when and where you take the SAT, you will receive either the Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) or the Student Answer Service (SAS). If you order a service, its information will be available online with your score report. If you're eligible for an SAT fee waiver, you can get the QAS or SAS for free.

The new SAT math is similar to old SAT math section; both sections have scores out of 800. However, the new math section has some different content than the old section; the College Board says the section has moved away from highly abstract problems to emphasize concrete, skills-based math.

U.S. students will take the SAT entirely online beginning in 2024 Students will take the SAT on computers and tablets at testing centers. The test will shrink from three hours to two, include shorter reading passages and allow calculators for the math section.

According to FairTest, more than 1,750 schools will have ACT/SAT-optional policies in place for fall 2023, meaning that applicants can choose whether to submit test scores and have them be considered in a college's admissions process.

The short answer is that the vast majority of schools are NOT requiring SAT test scores for the class of 2023 but that can absolutely change for those students entering fall 2024 and later.

Are paper tests better than online tests? ›

According to the AIR researchers, the students who took the test online performed as if they'd had five fewer months of academic preparation in math and 11 fewer months of preparation in English than their peers who took the test on paper.

The College Board, which administers the SAT, offers eight official practice tests on its website. Because these are official practice tests created by the test-makers themselves, these resources arguably provide the most realistic practice you can get.

Some students claim that the questions were harder on the official SAT or at the same level as their practice ones. So to put it simply, it is neither harder nor easier. It all depends on how prepared you are for the official test and how well you do while taking a test.

The short answer is yes. Online exams can detect cheating. Authentication procedures, web monitoring, data forensics, and proctoring (just to name a few) make it hard for examinees to get away with cheating.