WHAT IS THE NEW ADAPTIVE SAT ABOUT?

The new digital SAT is going to be comprised of two sections, Reading/Writing and Math. Each section will be split into two modules, and the overall scores will continue to be on a 1600-point scoring scale. However, the new SAT will be shorter and present students with fewer questions than the current SAT exam. During the Math section students are going to be allowed the usage of a calculator 100% of the time.

The new SAT is adaptive by section, having the difficulty level of the exam adjusted based on how well the student does on previous questions. For example, each question a student answers correctly will make the next question more difficult. On the other hand, if the student answers a question incorrectly, the next question will be easier.

The new adaptive testing can be worrisome to students struggling with the first section of the exam since the second section will seem easier. This particular trend will make the students think that they are doing worse than they expected and, therefore, fall into the common trap of over analyzing and second guessing, which causes students to lose time and stamina.

The new digital PSAT will be administered for the first time in October 2023 seating for the Juniors and Sophomores, and the first digital SAT test will be administered in March 2024 for the Juniors. Until then, SAT will be available in pen and paper format in March 2023, May 2023, June 2023, August 2023, October 2023, November 2023 and December 2023.

WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS DO TO PREPARE FOR THE NEW PSAT & SAT?

Students who have never taken an adaptive test might be against the idea of taking such an exam. One option for uncertain students is to visit our office and take a diagnostic that combines both ACT & SAT into one 3.5 hour test. Subsequently, students can determine whether they would opt for the ACT all together. If the students are still more inclined to take the SAT, we suggest working with one of our tutors that are experienced in adaptive testing to guide the students with developing strategies while dealing with the added stress.

Students that are ready to start applying to universities should be training for standardized entrance exams and need to take advantage of resources like ACT/SAT prep courses. Our boutique tutoring test prep facility can help them better understand the test and prepare for it effectively.

If you or your high school student have interest in learning more about the ACT/SAT, contact us today to set up a diagnostic! We look forward to meeting you.