As the College Board has transformed the format of its test beginning March 2024, students taking the SAT are wondering “How long is the digital SAT?”. The length of the test can be one of the major factors to consider when a student decides which standardized test to take. It may also affect students who are already preparing for the test in building their pacing strategies. So, let’s dive directly into our question on how long the new digital SAT is.
How Long is the SAT?
To a lot of students’ relief, the digital SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes long, which is far shorter than the paper SAT. Even with the 10-minute break in between sections, it is only 2 hours and 24 minutes long in total. This is almost an hour shorter than the paper SAT which used to be about 3 hours long. With the shortened length, the number of the questions have been reduced as well.
These adjustments come with the overall changes in the structure of the digital SAT. One of the biggest changes is that there are now two sections, Reading & Writing and Math, instead of three. Also, with the adaptive system, each section is divided into two modules.
The shortened duration and lessened number of questions in the digital SAT can be better understood in the context of this new format. For this reason, we have created a table below to help students grasp the details easily.
As the test is divided into four rather brief parts, it may help students to retain their focus throughout the test. In fact, this change in format is in line with College Board’s attempt at making the SAT more “student-friendly”. Read more on the digital SAT format to learn about other major changes made in the new SAT.
Need for Updated Pacing Skills
Due to this somewhat radical changes in the structure, students may benefit from reorganizing their pacing skills catered to this new test format. First of all, students will need to practice timing themselves in the context of each module. Secondly, students will need to acquire new skills suited for the updated test content and also the digital testing environment.
How to Pace Yourself Better
You can move between questions within a module
Yes, feel free to skip ahead or go back as you need to for better pacing within the given time. You can use “Mark for Review” tool to flag difficult questions you wish to review later.
You cannot move between modules
While you can move within a module, you cannot in between modules! Once you click on submit button, there is no going back. So, make sure to finish all the questions in a module before you go on.
You cannot proceed to the next module until the time is up
Even if you have answered all the questions, you still have to wait until the timer runs out of time.
What’s Next?
Want to Learn more about the digital SAT?
Read an overview of the digital SAT to understand how the new SAT has changed from the paper SAT.
Ready to Start Studying?
Take a free mini digital SAT test to know your baseline SAT score and familiarize yourself with the format. Then, start taking our full-length practice tests to fully dive into your SAT prep journey!