About SAT 2024
Scholastic Assessment Test, or popularly known as SAT, is a widely taken test across the United States to assess the preparedness of students advancing to college education. This test is administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization. The SAT 2024 fundamentally evaluates a student’s ability in reading, writing, and mathematics. The test aims at analyzing student’s proficiency in key areas that are considered crucial for success in professional education. Also, the SAT’s role in comparative evaluation allows institutes to compare academically potential aspirants from various backgrounds. The SAT exam registration can be done through the official website – satsuite.collegeboard.org
Beginning in 2024, the SAT 2024 in the US will purely be a computer-based exam. Based on a pilot project initiated in November 2021, the College Board acknowledged that the digital format fits best in the current world scenario where the technology is moving fast. Hence, in January 2022, the shift to digital format was declared permanent leaving millions of aspirants in a tizzy. Although, a lot of experts believe that this transition will not only help students to deal with the SAT exam more confidently, but will also encourage more students seeking admission into college to take SAT 2024.
A simple comparison of what changes in Digital SAT from Paper SAT
| Paper SAT | Digital SAT |
|---|---|
| Traditional Pen-and-Paper test | Computer-based Test |
| Longer Duration – 3 Hour Test | Shorter Duration – 2 Hr 14 Min Test |
| More MCQs, Longer passages, Traditional question types and formats | Fewer MCQs, Shorter passages, New question formats |
| Fixed Test Format for all test-takers | Adaptive testing technique to match student’s performance level |
| Calculator allowed for limited maths section | Allows usage of calculator for all maths sections |
| Slower score reporting : within 2-3 weeks | Faster score reporting : within few days |
Familiarity with the Digital SAT application is the utmost essential thing to prepare for the exam. Test-takers should preview the Bluebook testing app as well as download and install it before the test day. The link for the same is available on the College Board website (https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat). Apart from this, it will be wise for all aspirants to practice full-length mock tests to be able to comprehend the new Digital SAT 2024 exam format.
Key things to know about Digital SAT 2024
– Test will be conducted through an online App called Bluebook.
- Students will take the test on their personal laptop or on a school-issued device. Students without one will be provided a device by the College Board.
- Students will not be allowed to take tests at home and will have to appear for it in schools or centers designated by the College Board, under the surveillance of the invigilators.
- Following the 2016 pattern, the SAT exam will still be scored on a 1600 point scale.
- The online SAT will be scored differently. Questions in the progressing modules will be calibrated according to the student’s performance in the first module. Tackling tough questions will help the student fetch more points.
- Digital SAT interface will have a Student Clock for test takers to keep track of time.
- With tools such as highlighter, strikethrough, built-in calculator, and mark for review, test takers will be better equipped for solving questions.
What Are the Changes to the Digital SAT?
When the SAT goes digital, the exam’s format, content, and score reports will change in some key ways. To help you get a handle on the new digital SAT, we’ve put together an at-a-glance guide to all of the changes to the SAT that we know about so far.
Check out the table below to learn about how the SAT is changing in terms of format, content, scoring, and more!
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Type of Change
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What’s Changing
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How It’s Different From the Old SAT
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What It Means For You
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Exam administration
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The SAT will be administered on a digital device (laptop or tablet) through an application called Bluebook.
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The old SAT was administered in a pencil-and-paper format.
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You can take the digital SAT at school or a testing center using a digital device that belongs to you or a device that you’ve borrowed from your school or the College Board. You’ll download Bluebook to your device before your exam.
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Length
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The digital SAT will last for a total of two hours and 14 minutes.
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The pencil and paper SAT lasted for three hours.
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The digital SAT is an hour shorter! Your exam won’t take as long.
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Format
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The digital SAT will consist of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math.
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The pencil and paper SAT consisted of three sections: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math.
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Your exam experience will be more streamlined.
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Format
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Both sections of the digital SAT will be divided into two modules: Module 1 and Module 2. You will complete Module 1 before you can move on to Module 2 on both exam sections.
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The paper-and-pencil SAT had four sections. They’ve been renamed modules.
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You won’t be able to skip back and forth between modules during the exam.
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Format and content
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Adaptive testing generates an individualized digital SAT exam for you.
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The exam was administered on pencil and paper, so the exam could not be adapted to fit your knowledge and skills.
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Your performance on Module 1 on both SAT Reading and Writing and SAT Math will be used to generate the questions you receive in Module 2. Every test taker’s exam will be different.
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Format and content
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Passages on SAT Reading will be shorter, and each reading passage will correspond with only one exam question. Questions on both SAT Reading and SAT Math will be more direct and concise.
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The pencil and paper SAT included both long and short reading passages. Reading passages corresponded with sets of multiple questions. Questions were not as explicitly focused on aligning with real college material.
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Your exam performance will be a better reflection of your college and career readiness.
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Exam tools and rules
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Students will have access to a digital countdown clock, a way to flag exam questions and come back to them, a built-in graphing calculator, and a digital reference sheet for SAT Math. Also, students may use the graphing calculator for the entire Math section.
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Students’ exams were timed by a proctor. Reference sheets for SAT Math were included in the paper exam booklet. Students could not use a graphing calculator on the entire Math section.
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All your exam tools will be housed in the Bluebook app, so your exam experience will go more smoothly. You also get to use your calculator to answer more questions.
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Scoring
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Official score reports will be delivered much more quickly, likely within a few days of your exam date.
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Score reports were delivered in a couple of weeks.
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You’ll get your scores more quickly, so you can make decisions about whether to send your score reports to colleges and whether to retake the SAT more quickly too.
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SAT prep
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Using your digital device and the Bluebook app, you’ll be able to take full-length, adaptive practice SATs before your exam.
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You could download and take paper and pencil practice exams, but there was no app you could use to take them digitally. Old practice exams were not adaptive.
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You’ll get more targeted, individualized practice for the exam, but you also need to adjust your test prep so you’re ready for adaptive testing.
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Eligibility for SAT 2024
Exam eligibility
Generally, recent high school passouts seeking college admissions are the most eligible candidates for the SAT 2024 test, nevertheless, there is no formal age limit. As yet, it is further divided into three different categories:
| Candidates below 13 years old can register via mail | High School Age Group 17-19 Years | Candidates above 21 years of age shall provide a government-issued photo ID at the test center on the SAT Exam Day |
|---|
International students seeking admission to an undergraduate program abroad tend to appear for the SAT Exam. Others, who require entrance tests as part of their application process should go for the SAT Exam.
Application Process – SAT 2024
SAT exam registration:
Students planning to take the SAT 2024 Exam can register through both online and offline processes. Online registration can be done through the College Board’s official website, while offline SAT registration can be done only through mail. Unquestionably, it is a lot easier to register for the SAT 2024 exam via the online mode due to its user-friendly process. One can also find it convenient to pay the SAT exam fee during registration.
On the contrary, offline SAT exam registration is a time-consuming process and does not allow changes post-submission of the application. It does not provide flexibility to change dates in case of any inconvenience, whereas Online submission offers the scope of late SAT registration for test-takers due to lack of readiness. Also, online SAT registration is an easy-to-do process that allows students to register for the exam from the comfort of their homes.
Aspirants can always refer to the College Board website to accurately plan and carefully select convenient dates for the SAT exam. Whenever applying, deadlines are the most important aspect to look for if you are choosing to appear on a specific date. The usual dates fall in the months of January, March, May, June, August, October, November and December.
Anyone can appear for the SAT exam multiple times to their contentment. There is no bar! Although, it is good to avoid taking the SAT tests frequently in order to see noticeable progress.
Easy steps to follow for online SAT registration:
- Create your personal login ID on the official SAT website(satsuite.collegeboard.org)
- Once the login ID is created, students can proceed with the registration process
- Aspirants have to enter all essential details, and answer all the relevant questions
- Select an SAT exam date and centre from the available options
- Upload scanned / digital photographs in the prescribed format
- Pay the SAT registration fee to complete the process.
Overall, when you consider taking the test, it is always advisable to keep a track of your college application and scholarship deadlines. Now, all that you need is a perfect study plan that fits into your all day schedule, together with your commitment, adequate time and focus to crack the SAT exam. Ultimately, your goal should be to excel the SAT 2024 exam with flying colors, and by securing the admission in your choice of college.
We hope you found this article helpful in your journey to prepare for the SAT. The tips and strategies we shared are designed to make your test-taking experience smoother and more effective. Remember, mastering time management and pacing can make a big difference in your SAT score.
If you liked what you read here, be sure to check out our other articles. We’ve got a bunch of resources and guides that can help you get even more prepared for the SAT. From subject-specific strategies to general study tips, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Good luck with your SAT prep, and remember, you’ve got this!