BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The College Board announced recently that the SAT is officially going digital, and the changes will be seen as soon as 2024.
With the College Board's recent announcement several students are dropping their wooden pencils and picking up their laptops.
“At first glance it seems like a curveball in an already confusing college process, but ultimately what this means is our students are going to have options and that's always good,” said Christina Varner, the Head of Testing at Higher Scores Test Prep.
Varner said although the SAT is going digital, students who prefer paper will have the paper SAT as an option.
“This digital approach is designed to allow more access for students. It's going to allow for more testing opportunities, it's going to allow for a more streamlined testing process, and it cuts down the length of the test by an hour at least.”
Varner said the College Board even prepared for technological issues. “If a student’s device runs out of battery it's going to automatically save if there's an internet outage it's going to automatically save.”
Varner also said this test is more intuitive.
“One of the new features of the SAT being digital is it will be adaptive. Which means that the questions that come in the second module are dependent on the understanding that the student demonstrates in the first.”
Even with these new advances Senior Director of Strategic Communications at the California State University, Office of the Chancellor Michael Uhlenkamp said the test is still the test.
Uhlenkamp said for equity reasons the CSU Board of Trustees is thinking to eliminate the SAT and ACT from admission requirements altogether, but Varner still sees the value in the test.
“If a student falls short in any academic grade or qualifier, they can use those test scores to help them qualify for entry into these schools.”
Varner also said test scores can come in handy when applying for merit-based scholarships and that juniors and seniors don’t have to worry.
“It’s those sophomores that might want to consider testing a little sooner than they had planned. To take advantage of the paper SAT while its available to secure a score before they experience a digital PSAT or a digital SAT later.”
