Digital SAT and Testing Requirements

The digital SAT is here!

The March 9th exam is the first national administration of the redesigned SAT: an adaptive exam administered on a laptop or tablet. While the core content of the digital SAT is very similar to its predecessor, there are a few major changes:

The digital SAT is now 2 hours and 14 minutes long compared to the old test, which was 3 hours long.
The test is adaptive, which means a student’s performance on the first module of each section determines the level of difficulty of the second module of the section.
The reading and writing section has been completely redesigned, and there are no more multi-page passages.
Students can now use a calculator for the entirety of the math section.

For students who have been approved for accommodations, the digital SAT can be adapted in a variety of ways.

Unlike the SAT, the ACT is not currently going through a major redesign, although it is piloting the option for computer testing in select locations. ACT scores are accepted at all colleges that accept SAT scores.

The new digital SAT comes at a time when colleges are reconsidering their test optional policies. Dartmouth recently announced that it will once again require SAT/ACT scores for the class of 2029 (current high school juniors) and beyond. Similarly, Yale University recently announced that they will be requiring standardized test scores, whether that be the SAT, ACT, IB exams, or AP scores. After conducting a research study, Dartmouth found that standardized test scores are predictive of academic success at their institution. SAT/ACT scores are also particularly helpful in identifying high-achieving students from under-resourced schools and less advantaged backgrounds. Dartmouth concluded that standardized tests allow them to admit a more diverse and broader range of students, something that is at the forefront of many school’s minds.

Dartmouth and most other private universities are committed to a holistic review process. Standardized test scores are a potential opportunity to share more information with a college about a student. Dartmouth is not the first college to update their policies to require standardized test scores, and they will most likely not be the last. As schools gather more information and conduct their own research, it is important to make sure students and families stay informed about testing and other admission requirements as they can vary school by school.