{"id":15491,"date":"2023-08-15T07:43:55","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T13:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=15491"},"modified":"2023-08-16T14:04:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T20:04:45","slug":"the-sat-exam-is-changing-heres-what-students-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/the-sat-exam-is-changing-heres-what-students-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"The SAT Exam Is Changing: Here’s What Students Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

We recently sat down with Peterson\u2019s Content Development Manager, Dr. Lacey N. Smith to discuss the upcoming changes to the SAT test and what students (and parents) need to know and how they should prepare.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Can you tell me some of the reasons why the SAT test is changing and when the changes to the SAT test will be implemented?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Spring 2024 is when all students will begin taking the full SAT Suite of Assessments digitally. International students will begin taking the digital test earlier, in March 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>There are two main reasons why the SAT test is changing. The first is that the new digital SAT is both easier to take and easier to administer. The second reason is that the changes make the test more relevant. For instance, students will now be tested more directly on their academic and college-preparedness skills than on their ability to manage time or memorize test-taking strategies, as has traditionally been the case with standardized tests.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Will the upcoming changes to the SAT benefit students?<\/b><\/h3>\n

<\/b><\/b>By making the test more approachable, easier to study for, easier to take, and ultimately more relevant to the actual skills students will need when they get to college, the new digital SAT should definitely benefit students. However, those who aren\u2019t prepared for the changes may struggle a bit, so it is good to use knowledgeable resources (like Peterson\u2019s <\/span>Master the SAT<\/a> test prep <\/span><\/i>book) to prepare for the new format.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to hear that the SAT will be easier and more relevant for students! Are there a lot of format and question changes to the SAT that students should be aware of?
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

Most of the changes are designed to make the test more accessible for students, so even though things will look and function differently, they should ultimately be more approachable. The main change is that for both the Reading and Writing section and the Mathematics section, the test will be administered in two modules, each containing half of the total questions for that section. Your score on the first module will determine whether you get slightly harder questions in the second module (and are thus eligible for the highest scores) or if you get slightly easier questions in the second module (meaning you won\u2019t be able to score higher than ~600\/800 for that section). The test literally \u201cadapts\u201d to reflect your Module 1 performance, which is why it\u2019s called an adaptive test.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Other changes include much shorter reading passages each accompanied by a single question (rather than longer passages accompanied by multiple questions), shorter word problems in math, and the ability to use calculators for the entire math section. In general, all questions on the test will be shorter and\/or more direct than they\u2019ve been in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

A quick overview of SAT changes:<\/strong><\/p>\n