New Delhi: The SAT or Scholastic Assessment Test, used by universities across the world for undergraduate admissions, will go completely digital by 2024, the College Board, a global body that conducts the test, said in a press release issued Tuesday.
“The SAT will be delivered digitally internationally beginning in 2023, and in the US in 2024,” the press release said. At present, students appear for the test in paper and pencil format.
The board also stated that the duration of the test will be shortened to two hours from the current three, and students will receive their scores within days as opposed to weeks, among other changes made to the format.
The SAT is recognised in the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Germany and most recently, in India. Students around the world appear for the test to apply for programmes in over 4,000 universities. The number of Indian students taking the SAT has reportedly gone up in recent years.
According to College Board’s press release, the board had in November last year piloted a digital SAT in the US as well as other countries, which 80 per cent students found to be less stressful as compared to the written format. The decision to go digital is based on the results of the pilot.
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Students can use their own devices, or will be provided one
“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” the press statement quoted Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, as saying.
“We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform — we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs,” she added.
The press release further said that the digital test will be shorter, with more time to answer each question. Furthermore, “it 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,” it added.
The board further states that with the digital test, students will be able to use their own (laptop or tablet) or a school-issued device. If students don’t have a device to use, the College Board will provide one for use on the day of the test.
Highlighting the relevance of these changes, the board said, “The changes will also make the SAT more secure. With the current paper and pencil SAT, if one test form is compromised it can mean canceling administrations or canceling scores for a whole group of students. Going digital allows every student to receive a unique test form, so it will be practically impossible to share answers (sic).”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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