Is the Digital SAT Easier than the Paper SAT?

As the SAT has officially gone fully digital in the United States since March 2024, students have numerous questions regarding the changes in the new SAT. Among those, the most frequently asked one is “Is the digital SAT easier than the paper and pencil SAT?”. This question is of a great interest for high school students because the answer will affect how much time they need to set aside for their test prep among other agendas for college admissions process. To provide students with an idea, we have looked into evidences that suggest new SAT is easier than the paper version of the SAT.

Is the Digital SAT Designed to be Easier?

A short answer to this is possibly yes, in a sense that the new SAT has incorporated some changes that may lighten the load for test takers. This is proven by some students who have taken the digital SAT expressing their increased comfort level in the digital SAT. For example, the new SAT is far shorter than the older version of the exam, which helps students to stay focused during the testing period. Also, the new SAT supports students’ process of applying their knowledge to problem-solving. This is to say that the passages and questions have become shorter and more precise, helping students to quickly revisit their knowledge and utilize it in the best way possible.

However, personal preference in test-taking may also affect students’ comfort level, as the new SAT has altered to an extent the methods of testing students’ knowledge and skill. For this reason, it would be worthwhile for students to learn how the new SAT is different from the older version of the test. In this article, we have divided the modifications in the digital SAT into three categories : the format, the content, and the testing method. Based on your own comfort level in each area, you may be able to assess how difficult the exam will be for you.

Changes in the Format of the New SAT

First and foremost, the digital SAT is significantly shorter than the paper SAT. The duration of the paper SAT was 3 hours in total, which is reduced to only 2 hours and 14 minutes in the new SAT. With the shortened time, the number of questions has also reduced from a total of 154 questions in the paper SAT to a total of 98 questions in the new SAT. In the Reading and Writing section, students now have 1 minute 11 seconds per question as opposed to 1 minute 15 seconds for Reading section and 48 seconds for Writing section in the previous SAT. The Digital SAT Math section has an increased time allotment of 1 minute 35 seconds per question compared to 1 minute 15 seconds in the no calculator section and approximately 1 minute 27 seconds in the calculator section in the paper SAT. In terms of scoring system, Digital SAT score has the same score range as the paper SAT of 400 – 1600, each section being scored on a scale of 200 – 800. According to the College Board, the digital SAT and paper SAT scores are comparable to each other, requiring no conversion from one to another.

Another change, which is probably one of the most significant changes in the new SAT, is that the digital SAT uses adaptive modules. It is a testing system in which students receive two sets of questions, the level of the second one determined by their performance on the first module. Whereas the first module is a mix of easy, medium and hard questions, the second module will consist more of either easier or harder questions based on how the student did previously. In other words, the better students perform, the more challenging their testing experience can get.

This is not so unfair because difficult modules come with compensation; students can earn more points by performing well on the more difficult module than the easier module. This is because the weight of the questions vary according to their difficulty level. Even if a student gets all the questions in the easier second module, there is a limit to the score that the student can achieve. However, having the option to solve an easy set of questions can still be of benefit to students who are stronger in one section than the other. All in all, this adaptive testing will provide a new testing environment for everyone and it may take several attempts for students to fully adapt themselves to it.

Changes in the Content of the New SAT

The College Board announced that the digital SAT will maintain its degree of strictness in measuring students’ scholastic abilities. The overall consistency of the topics being tested and the spectrum of the difficulty levels of the questions seem to support their statement.

That being said, some of the changes made in the test may contribute to simplifying problem-solving process for students. For example, passages in the Reading and Writing section have been shortened, which would help test takers make the most use of their concentration span. The passages will be less than 150 words in the new SAT, compared to several hundred words in the past. In addition, there will be only one question tied to each passage instead of multiple questions. Students will no longer have to go back and forth between questions, which further facilitating students’ problem solving pace.

What’s more, the entire math section now allows calculator use, which is a major change from the previous version which had calculator and no-calculator sections. Students can use their own calculator approved by the College Board or the built-in Desmos graphing calculator in the testing app. With the change, students who are proficient enough in using a calculator will be able to solve many problems with ease which could have required much more time to solve otherwise.

The math questions in the new SAT also display more student-friendly features. In-context questions, as known as word problems, became less wordy and more concise. This will help students focus solely on utilizing their mathematical thinking by reducing their burden on processing text information.

The Pros and Cons of the Digitalized Testing Method

Needless to say, the digital SAT assigns the test in a digital form that is to be taken on a computer. College Board provides a testing app called Bluebook that students use to take the exam either on their own device or on the device managed by the testing site. In the app, students will have digital tools in the app to help them take the test such as the timer, calculator, reference sheet and annotate tool.

While digitalized test taking may provide convenience for some students, it may present some learning curve for others who are not as adept in taking tests on a digital device. For example, reading passages on a screen using annotate tools may feel different from reading passages on a piece of paper using a pencil to take notes. For this reason, it is encouraged that students take digital SAT practice tests to acquire the practical test-taking skills they need to excel on the exam.

Will the Digital SAT be Easier for Me?

Comparing both versions of the SAT, there are several factors that indicate the possible advantages that the digital SAT provides over the paper SAT for test takers. The new SAT may appear more streamlined in the way that helps students who are prepared perform their potential.

That being said, it will be in students’ best interest to familiarize themselves with the new test format to enjoy the benefit this new test presents. After all, students will be able to better concentrate on the questions when they have a good understanding of how the test is structured. To return to the big question of this article, the digital SAT can be more favorable to students who know how to approach the exam.

To learn more, read up on 2024 SAT changes and learn how to effectively prepare for the exam.