The SAT has been the dreaded exam for years now. While it’s been around for long, some recent changes have been made. As the world developed, the standard tests became digital, and the SATs followed along. Students tried out the first test of the new SAT at the beginning of 2023, and as mentioned by students and experts, it had many drastic changes. The previous version had 4 sections: reading, writing, and two math sections, with a total maximum score of 1600. On the other hand, while the new digital test also has 1600 as the highest score, there are currently two sections: reading and writing, and math. However each section contains 2 modules. The previous SAT was hated for its length, but happily, it has now been reduced in the digital one. As mentioned, many things have altered in the new SAT, and many say that it is easier and better than the old one. Still, we asked some of our students who recently wrote the exams for their opinions.
Interviewee 1:“It was easier this time; even though it was extremely stressful, I believe I was more prepared, and overall I prefer the digital version as it was easier. “
Interviewee 2: “The test glitched the first ten minutes and it wasn’t working, which made me confused and worried. It was quite difficult, I was waiting for it to be easier.”
Interviewee 3: “The SAT definitely is easier than before, we got more time and less questions. Even though we technically had a minute and seventeen seconds for each question it was still quite simple. Regardless of these positive comments, the internet stopped working a few times and some of my friends were kicked out of the server ,which resulted in them losing precious time. For me, the best choice would be to bring the exact same format of the new test on paper.“
Interviewee 4: “Overall it wasn't hard, but there were some technical issues. It stressed me out when the program glitched because I was worried about losing time. But the test was pretty nice, the English section was simple and not bad, but I preferred the math test on the old SATs.“
Interviewee 5: “There is no doubt that almost everyone gets anxious while taking the SAT exams, but I believe that making the test digital helped me to calm down a little. For me, whenever I think about tests and exams I think of the standard ones that we write on paper. So even though the digital form of the SAT was new to me, as well as the format, time given, the formation and arrangement of the questions, the fact that it was digital made it feel like I wasn't taking a standard test which usually awakens the feeling of uneasiness and stress in me. Also, the fact that each individual question in the English section had its own small text and that multiple questions weren't asked about one complex test, like it was before, was an advantage and made it easier for me to answer the questions faster. It will definitely take some time to get used to the new format of the SAT, but overall I can say that I prefer the new format rather than the old paper one.”
Interviewee 6: “The digital sat test we wrote earlier took me by surprise. The English section, though at first glance easier because of the new format which got rid of the long texts, was still as hard as the old version. The vocabulary was especially complex, but overall, it was manageable. I was very pleased with the math section, it was easy and we had enough time for revision too. The new in-app graphing calculator made the tasks way lighter, especially now that we can use regular calculators on both modules. The only downside of the digital version is that if we find one section easy and complete it quickly, the program will make the next one harder to keep the balance, so there's more chance of making mistakes. All of that in mind, I'm pleased with my results for the first try, but will definitely be taking the test again now that I have more experience working with the digital version and know what to expect.”
There are many mixed feelings about the modernized version of the infamous SATs, but mostly there are positive attitudes towards it. The school average was 1312 on the SATs - quite good for first timers!
Edited by: Natalie Gordadze