The College Board just released the test specifications for the new digital SAT. Here is the most important information about what is changing on both the SAT and PSAT as they switch to digital formats in 2023 and 2024. The most important change is that the SAT and PSAT will now be adaptive–the difficulty of the later sections will change based on the performance on the first sections.
Reading and Writing
- The Reading and Writing sections will be combined–students will see both Reading and Writing questions on the same test section.
- Each question will be on a single passage that ranges from 25-150 words.
- There will be new genres of passages presented, along with the continuation of fiction, historical documents, science, and social science. Students will now have some poetry and drama selections.
- There will be two Reading/Writing sections, each taking 32 minutes, each having 27 questions.
Math
- The topics covered in the math will remain virtually identical to what is covered on the current SAT and PSAT.
- There will still be multiple choice and student-produced response questions.
- The math test will be broken up into two sections of 35 minutes, each having 22 questions.
Takeaways
The SAT and PSAT are largely staying the same. Even the evidence-based questions on the reading, which I though might go away on the digital format, will remain. The grammar and math concepts will overlap with what is currently tested. The new digital SAT and PSAT should be less intimidating to students–the time constraints are quite generous, and students will need to stay focused for just over two hours to complete the exam.
I would encourage you to check out the sample questions available from College Board to get a taste of what is to come.
Please visit our blog for further updates on the new digital SAT and PSAT.
–Brian Stewart
