The class of 2025 will be the last group of students to experience the paper SAT and the first group to experience the digital SAT. The digital SAT will officially be released in 2024, taking a total of two hours and fourteen minutes to complete, which is comparatively less than the three hours of the paper SAT. The digital SAT is not the best change because it takes away the purpose of a standardized test by presenting each test taker with different sets of problems as they advance through the test.
Having taken the practice digital SAT administered by Fremd High School, junior Shivani Subash said that she preferred the paper test over the digital version.
“[The digital test] changes based on how well you do on the first module, and if you do bad on the first module, it gets easier which gives you a false sense of confidence,” Subash said.
Junior Ashwin Mahidhara shared a similar viewpoint.
“The math section on the paper [test] is a lot easier… there are less weird problems,” Mahidhara said.
Although it tests similar concepts that the paper SAT tests, the digital SAT will vary in its organization, with one English and one Math section. Each section will be split into two modules. Based on how one does on the first module of a section, the second module’s difficulty will be tailored accordingly.
Mahidhara stated that since the questions differ from person to person, the scoring of the test seems unfair.
“A standardized test should be fully standardized… The same set of questions should be given to everyone…It’s strange if my standardized test has different questions than those on other people’s tests,” Mahidhara said.
Subash claimed that the new version seems unfair because the difficulty of the questions you get in the second module depends on one’s performance on the first. For example, if one doesn’t do well on the first module of a section, the questions in the second section will be easier. In contrast, if you do well on the first module, the questions in the second module will be more difficult.
This idea contradicts the point of standardized testing. Standardized tests are methods of assessment where all test takers have to answer the same questions with all the answers being graded the same way. The SAT is supposed to be a standardized test. If the questions on the new version of the SAT are different for each person, then the SAT would no longer be standardized.
Given this lack of standardization, would the digital SAT be a good replacement for the paper SAT? It depends on the person taking it. Though it may be easier for some people because of the shorter sections, it could be harder for others based on the test structure they are used to and the new organization. Additionally, the idea that the second module adapts to the person taking it doesn’t stay true to the idea that the SAT is a standardized test. Nevertheless, the person taking the test will need to decide upon which version is better.
In general, Mahidhara enjoyed the paper test.
“I liked some of the features,” Mahidhara said. “It seemed easier for me but we will definitely have to see how it goes.”
As of right now, this change in the SAT format is permanent. However, it may serve as an obstacle for students since it takes away the sole purpose of standardized tests, which is to give every student an equal set of questions to measure their academic skills. Though the digital SAT often causes clashes of opinions, it’s time to embrace this change because this new test will become the norm for measuring college readiness in future generations of students.
