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Guide

New digital SAT

What are the changes in the new DIGITAL SAT and what about accessibility accommodations for students with low vision or blindness?

The Scholastic Assessment Test or SAT is a multiple choice test to predict a student’s college readiness. It is designed to analyze and individual’s written, verbal and mathematical skills.

The current SAT is a three hour pen-paper test. Between college admissions going “test-optional” and COVID (testing requirements were dropped during COVID), the number of students taking SATs has decreased. Note: More than 1,800 four-year colleges have announced plans to go test-optional.

To better align with digital high school courses and post-covid standards, the SAT format will be changing to entirely digital starting in the US in March 2024. PSAT will change first, starting in the fall of 2023. The new more-relevant digital test will reflect the 21st century classroom with updated content and platform – the kind of testing that mirrors what today’s high school students are used to.

New SAT: Changes

Additional comments about the digital SAT

Accessibility

The College Board provides this information about accommodations on the digital tests, including that refreshable braille displays, screen readers and magnification is allowed. 

According to the accommodations, 

The accommodations go on to talk about using a screen reader instead of a human reader (or option for human reader with a paper test), scribe and speech-to-text, use of Assistive Technology devices and more. Please go to the College Board Accommodations for the full list of accommodations.

While accommodation polices are in place there are still some question marks about the accessibility of individual test questions. If you were involved with the SAT pilot launch program, please share your experiences with us: email [email protected].

Note: The original starting date for the new digital SAT was October 2023. The College Board’s website now states PSAT tests will be digital starting in the fall of 2023 and the SAT will be digital starting in the US in March 2024.

By Diane Brauner, 2/7/23

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