As of March 2024, the new digital SAT has arrived in the U.S., fully replacing the paper version taken by decades of students. Here’s what you need to know about this important factor in college admissions. 

What is the Digital SAT?

The digital SAT test is the online replacement of the paper SAT. One big change is that the digital SAT is adaptive, tailoring questions based on the student’s performance. As the student answers correctly in the first section, the questions in the next section will become more difficult but also carry more point value.

What Are the Changes to the Verbal Section of the Digital SAT?

The Verbal section of the digital SAT has changed the most, primarily because long reading passages cannot fit on one computer screen. This means that traditional Reading Comprehension is no longer a feature of the SAT. 

Although many students will celebrate this, it just means that a new challenge has been substituted in its place. Remember when SAT prep meant cramming vocabulary? Well, it’s back, but even more so. 

Approximately 22% of the Verbal now consists of advanced vocabulary questions, but a closer inspection reveals that another type of question (about 13% of the total) hinges exclusively on vocabulary as well. This means that over a third of the verbal questions are purely a matter of vocabulary and nearly every question (including new components like poetry) requires advanced vocabulary. Here’s an example: 

In the three-sentence excerpt above, there are four “SAT words” that most high-schoolers do not know. To see why vocabulary is critical, notice that the word “exulted” in the last line creates a surprising twist: that Mrs. Ochiltree enjoys having no friends. 

Fortunately, it’s far easier to master vocabulary now using free “spaced-repetition” software such as Anki. Almost any student who gets into the habit of spending five minutes daily will find a majority of the Verbal section of the Digital SAT to be simple and fun. Those who cram over six weeks can multiply their advanced vocabularies by a factor of about 10, simply by learning 33 words per day. 

What Are the Changes to the Math Section of the Digital SAT?

The major change to the Math section is that a calculator is permitted throughout, and that an advanced, built-in calculator is supplied with the test. However, this means that students are likely to learn exactly the wrong lesson, because calculator overuse lowers scores. 

Yes, I know this doesn’t make intuitive sense, but that’s the case with many things about the SAT. Here’s why: every SAT question is designed to fool a certain percent of students. An “easy” question is one that tricks a minority of students, while a “hard” one will often have a trap that ensnares nearly everyone. 

The calculator can be a thief of attention which makes it very easy to fool a student who is preoccupied with the routine of entering calculations. Therefore, I generally advise avoiding the calculator because the SAT can use it as a tool for “misdirection” in order to slip something big by unsuspecting test-takers. However, a calculator is indispensable for simple arithmetic requiring precision and for built-in calculator functions such as systems of equations.

Here’s an example of where calculators are harmful, however:

Anyone who spends time finding the exact average of the ten supplied numbers will almost certainly be fooled by the fact that ninety of the numbers are not supplied. The answer choices are so far apart that finding a precise average would be ludicrous. Instead, a quick guesstimate that the numbers are somewhere in the 100-200 range is far preferable.

This means that the tiny minority of students who insist on the discipline of mental math will likely outperform their peers significantly. In fact, the key to acing the SAT continues to be “taking the road less traveled.”

How Do You Get a High Digital SAT Score?

One challenge in preparing for the digital SAT will be finding real test questions. Although there are dozens of real, previously administered tests available for both the paper-based SAT and ACT, the College Board has only provided four sample Digital SATs, and experience shows that these tests are unlikely to be fully representative.

There are commonalities, however, between the new test questions and various elements of the paper-based SAT, the pre-2016 SAT, and the GRE, so experienced test-prep professionals who know which questions from these tests to use for practice will provide a significant advantage for the next year or two. 

A month prior to taking the digital SAT, it is worth trying out its new features by downloading the “Bluebook” app from the College Board. However, just because there are new features available does not mean that they will all serve you equally well. 

For example, don’t rely on the annotation tool: use scrap paper instead. (Other features, such as the “eliminate answers” tool, and “mark this question for later review,” are helpful.) Also, bring your own calculator if you know it better than the built-in Desmos. 

If you plan to use Desmos, you’ll give yourself a significant advantage by bringing a 17-inch laptop (preferably touchscreen). Otherwise, you’ll have to keep opening and closing the Desmos calculator to be able to see the questions. 

If you’re using your own calculator, any size laptop works.

What Is the Digital SAT’s Adaptive Testing?

The digital SAT is “adaptive,” meaning simply that although everyone gets the same first Math section, those who do well will then get a harder second Math section, while those who do poorly will get an easier second Math section. (The same goes for Verbal.) 

This is a positive change because it shortens the test by over an hour, minimizes frustration by dramatically reducing the number of questions that are too hard or too easy, and improves the score accuracy.

Students shouldn’t pay much attention to this format change: all they need to know is to try their best on each question, and that ironically, if a test feels hard, it may just be a sign that they are doing well. 

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