Big changes ahead for the controversial SAT college-entrance exam: Digital, shorter, and a unique test for each student

LOS ANGELES — The controversial SAT college-entrance exam will move to an all-digital format with shorter, more concise content that is expected to better prevent cheating and widen access to an exam that is coming under growing scrutiny as a gatekeeper in the college application process.

The College Board, which owns the test, unveiled the changes Tuesday. They will be rolled out for international students in spring 2023 and for U.S. students in 2024. The duration of the test, which will be administered at schools and testing centers with proctors, will be cut from three to two hours. Long reading passages will be shortened.

In a key change, the digital format will allow for a unique test for each student. That will increase security — test-takers can’t crib an answer from someone else — but could raise questions about how to fairly assess students who are taking different tests.

The announcement comes amid a growing national movement to eliminate standardized testing requirements for admissions decisions. More than 1,800 colleges and universities — nearly 80% of U.S. institutions that grant bachelor’s degrees — have dropped requirements for fall 2022 applicants, with most making submission of test scores optional, according to the educational organization FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.

It’s unclear whether colleges and universities will reinstitute testing requirements after the pandemic eases or whether the digital exam will help the College Board rebuild its SAT market.

SAT test-takers dropped from 2.2 million in the class of 2020 to 1.5 million the following year, rising to 1.7 million so far for current high school seniors. The College Board declined to provide data on SAT test revenue during those years.

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Critics of college admissions testing have said standardized tests don’t predict college academic performance as well as high school grades do and produce biased results based on race, income and parents’ education level. The University of California, the nation’s premier public research university system, jettisoned the SAT and ACT in 2020 after more than a year of research and debate. The Board of Regents’ unanimous vote was rooted in concerns that the test posed an unfair admission barrier to underserved students and brought no significant value to admission decisions.

But high schools are continuing to give the test and many counselors are recommending that students take it. The College Board says there is overwhelming demand for it, especially since many of the nation’s most competitive universities have not eliminated it.

Priscilla Rodriguez, the College Board’s vice president for college readiness assessments, said 83% of students surveyed by the nonprofit wanted the option to take the test and submit their scores.

“Let students take it, see how they do and see if they feel it reflects their strengths,” she said of the test. “If it does, they put it forward. If it doesn’t, they don’t.”

She said feedback from students, parents and colleges prompted many of the changes. One concern has been the risk of security breaches when paper tests are shipped across the globe and compromised — as has occurred in South Korea and China, leading to widespread test cancellations. Such problems in part prompted the College Board to step up efforts to develop a more secure digital test over the last few years, Rodriguez said.

But the digital format also benefits schools, she added, because it allows them more flexibility over testing dates. Because each test is unique, the SAT no longer has to be given to all students at the same time to prevent the sharing of information. About 60% of test-takers can do so at their campuses during school hours, rather than having to pay to travel to testing sites on weekends, during testing days set by the College Board. The digital format will allow schools to decide when to give the exam.

Students will be able to use their own devices, such as a laptop or tablet, or a school-issued device. For those without a device, the College Board will provide one to use on test day. If students lose connectivity or power, they won’t lose their work or time while they reconnect. After a student has logged in to the test, its design prevents the opening of new tabs to search online for answers.

The new test also features a more user-friendly format. Long reading passages with several questions have been streamlined to shorter texts with one question tied to each over a greater variety of topics.

Kirsten Amematsro, a Virginia high school sophomore who took the pilot digital test last fall, said she much preferred the more concise reading format.

“It helped me focus better and took less time because I wasn’t wasting time reading long passages scanning for the wrong answer,” she said.

She added that the built-in timer at the top of the screen helped her pace herself, and the embedded digital calculator alleviated stress over making sure to bring her own. Scores were not provided for the pilot digital test, but Kirsten said she felt she did better than with the paper version last year, when she scored in the 82nd percentile.

“There’s really no difference in the hardness of the test, but there was definitely less stress, and it was easier to use,” she said.

Overall, 80% of U.S. and international students who took the pilot test last November said it was less stressful, said the College Board, which conducted the survey. Rodriguez added that the core skills of reading, writing and math — important for college readiness and career success — will be assessed just as thoroughly in the digital format as the print version.

The College Board a provided a list of students who had taken the pilot test, including Kirsten, and educators who reviewed materials about it, including admission directors at MIT, Yale and the University of Southern California. Those universities have not ruled out returning to testing requirements after the pandemic, saying that SAT scores provide a useful piece of information in assessing applicants during their comprehensive review process, along with grades, course rigor, essays and extracurricular activities.

At Yale, for instance, test scores are the single most effective factor in predicting a student’s first-year and four-year grade point average, said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid.

Stuart Schmill, MIT dean of admissions and student financial services, said applicants to his campus have similar high grades, so the test score adds an important factor to differentiate them. He also said it helps students who don’t have equitable access to high-level courses demonstrate their college readiness.

The Yale, MIT and USC admission leaders all said their application review process controls for testing bias by evaluating scores in the context of a student’s school and community. They endorsed the digital format and other changes as an innovative step forward in the testing landscape.

“It’s a move of the College Board into the 21st century when it comes to improving the testing experience for students,” said Kedra Ishop, USC vice president of enrollment management. “It’s going to be easier to take for students. It’s more secure and more relevant to a broader set of students. And that’s a step in the right direction.”