The CollegeBoard has announced that the newest version of the SAT is coming to students in the USA as soon as spring 2024. This new version will be administered on a computer. The biggest changes we have seen are to the Reading and Writing section and to the timing of the test.
The Digital SAT is broken up into four “modules,” meaning four timed sections. There are two Reading and Writing modules and two Math modules. Students will take a ten minute break in between the Reading and Writing and the Math sections.
Reading and Writing
The Reading and Writing modules are 32 minutes long and feature 33 questions each. If a student has extra time at the end of a module, they are only permitted to review questions within that module.
Whereas the paper SAT featured long reading passages followed by several questions, the new Digital SAT is styled differently. Each question features a short passage, anywhere from 60 to 200 words, followed by a single, multiple choice question.
These questions test four “main content domains”:
- Information and Ideas
Measures comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills and knowledge and the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas from texts and informational graphics (tables, bar graphs, and line graphs). - Craft and 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. - Expression of Ideas
Measures the ability to revise texts to improve the effectiveness of written expression and to meet specific rhetorical goals. - Standard English Conventions
Measures the ability to edit text to conform to core conventions of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
Questions test skills such as comparing two texts with conflicting opinions, identifying what information supports a particular claim, knowledge of advanced vocabulary, and grammar.
Math
The math section includes two 35 minute modules with 27 questions per module. Like the paper SAT, the content tested on the math section includes questions from Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, Geometry, and Trigonometry.
Like the paper SAT, there are a few questions per module that are not multiple choice. Instead, the student must input their own answer in a text box. Unlike the paper SAT, these questions are spread out throughout the module and not grouped together at the end of the section.
Also unlike the paper SAT, students may use a graphing calculator throughout both modules of the math section. Students may use their own graphing calculator, but one will also be provided on the screen, similar to what can be found here.
How to Practice
The best way to start practicing for the Digital SAT is by working with a test-prep tutor. Your tutor will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, master the skill of identifying question types, and enable you to use strategies to maximize your time.
Contact us today by visiting www.aristotlecircle.com, giving us a call at 212-360-2301, or emailing info@aristotlecircle.com.
The next best thing you can do is take practice tests. You can find official SAT practice tests here.
The Circle 
[…] Earlier this month, Dartmouth College announced that they would be reinstating the requirement for SAT or ACT scores for freshman applicants. Dartmouth officials came to this decision after studying the effects of their test-optional policy. They realized that they were missing out on qualified students who decided not to submit their scores. It’s Dartmouth’s policy to consider test scores “in context.” This means a student with a 1420 coming from a “challenged” school would potentially be a contender for admission because it shows that the student has resilience and academic prowess despite environmental factors working against them. The average SAT score range for the admitted freshman class in 2024 was 1440 – 1560. It’s important to note that the class of 2024 was the last class required to submit scores, and did not reflect any possible data changes due to students taking the new, digital version of the SAT. […]
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