Everything About Digital SAT Test 2024

Undergraduate students studying in high school and wishing to study in a college abroad may have to appear for a standardised exam like SAT Digital or ACT. Those who choose to go for the Digital SAT exam can get all the details here. Check out Digital SAT eligibility, dates, registration process, format, and the new exam pattern. 

In the year 2023, around 1.9 million students appeared for the SAT exam in comparison to 1.39 million ACT exam takers. SAT full form is Scholastic Assessment Test and is required at most of the leading universities in the US, Canada, Australia, Italy and others. From March 2023, the Digital SAT was introduced by the College Board. From being conducted on paper, Scholastic Assessment Test has become digitalized.  SAT exam upon being digitalised, has witnessed a couple of changes. Let us look at the following article and check out the proposed changes along with other prerequisites to appear for the SAT exam in 2024. 

SAT Digital Exam 2024 Highlights

What is the Digital SAT Exam?

So what's new on the SAT Digital exam? There are a couple of changes that differentiate between the older version of the SAT exam and the Digital SAT exam. Some of the key changes that have changed the face of the SAT exam since March 2023 are as follows:

Digital SAT is computer-adaptive

Since the SAT has gone digital, the SAT exam unlike other exams is also computer-adaptive. This means that the test adjusts its difficulty based on how a student answers in the very first section. So if a student answers correctly, the next set of questions will be harder; if not answered correctly, the questions will be easier. 

SAT Digital is Shorter in Duration

Initially, the SAT exam was three hours long, but the new Digital SAT exam is 2 hours and 14 minutes long. Thus, there are 98 questions on the Digital SAT in comparison to 154 questions (minus the essay questions) on the previous version of the SAT exam.

Use of Calculators Permitted for All Questions

Previously, calculators were permitted for use for certain SAT Maths section questions. But on Digital SAT, calculators can be used across all questions on the SAT Math section. There is no restriction on the use of calculators. Rather, the applicants can find the in-built calculator on the Bluebook App for use as well. 

Permission to take SAT Digital on Personal Laptops

Applicants are permitted to use their laptops, iPads or tabs to take the SAT Digital exam. Also, those who do not have one can just request devices from the College Board when registering for the SAT exam. This feature was not there in the previous version of SAT. Applicants taking SAT Digital on personal devices will have to download the Bluebook App so that they can take the exam at the SAT exam centre.  

Want more details? Check out all details at: New SAT Format: Difference Between Old and New SAT Format 

The SAT Digital exam is conducted around the year and Indian students will be able to check the Digital SAT exam dates, SAT exam centres and availability of SAT exam scores beforehand. This will in turn help them make up their minds and plan accordingly. The following section discusses in detail each aspect related to the SAT exam, applicants who are in high school will benefit from the information in this section. 

SAT Digital 2024 Eligibility for Indians

There are no pre-defined SAT eligibility criteria for any set of students. Applicants who are in high school or class X - XII can appear for the SAT exam. Students of age 17 and above on average sit for the SAT exam usually. Thus, high school students who decide to study abroad can also sit for the SAT exam after passing out of school. 

Digital SAT 2024 Exam Dates for Indian Students

The SAT Digital exam is held in India seven times a year, in March, May, June, August, October, November and December. Test dates are released well in advance by the College Board and can be viewed on the website: http://sat.collegeboard.org. 

SAT Digital Test Schedule 2024 for Indian Applicants 

On the following dates, the SAT Digital exam is being conducted for the year 2024 for Indian applicants:

• March 9, 2024
• May 4, 2024
• June 1, 2024
• August 24, 2024
• October 5, 2024
• November 2, 2024
• December 7, 2024

The dates are fixed and usually do not change, in the case of SAT exam date change, applicants will be informed well within time. Applicants must check for the SAT Digital dates and prepare to sit for the exam according to the university deadlines.

Anticipated 2025 Digital SAT Exam Dates

College Board has announced some of the initial dates for the SAT exam 2025 and they are as follows:

 For those looking to apply for SAT exam in 2025, can keep these dates at the back of their mind for now. 

How to Register for Digital SAT Exam in 2024?

To appear for the exam, applicants will have to first register for the SAT exam. The SAT exam registration is simple and can be done online easily by a 17-year-old applicant also. In order to register for the SAT exam, applicants can just follow these simple steps below:

• Log on to the College Board's website and find the option to sign up.
• Upon signing up you will get the option for registering for SAT button, click on it and the application will open up.
• There are a lot of details required from the College Board which must be filled with utmost care.
• After all the details are completed, the applicant will be prompted to select the SAT exam date in the city of choice and also select the SAT exam centre along with it.
• Based on the SAT exam dates, the centre options will open up and applicants will have to make a choice.
• The nearest SAT exam centre can be found by putting in the test centre code or by manually looking at SAT centres available in the city of choice.
• Finally, the application will require a photo update during the registration or can be submitted later on also, it's up to the applicant. The SAT exam fee submission is a must to secure the SAT exam date and centre. 

There are options for late registrations for the SAT exam also, but applicants have to make a payment additionally as well when they do so. Once applicants register for SAT Digital, they can download Bluebook App and begin Digital SAT practice tests. 

Digital SAT Format 2024

The SAT skills taught in high school classrooms include reading, writing, and math. A student’s knowledge and skills in these areas are important for success in college and beyond. Since the SAT exam has gone digital, the SAT Digital exam pattern has also got a makeover. Following is the latest SAT exam pattern for prospective applicants:

This is the ideal SAT exam pattern after digitalising in 2023, for more details about topics of preparation, check out SAT Exam Syllabus 2024. 

Digital SAT Scores & Results 

Each section of the SAT exam (RW and Mathematics) is scored on a 200-800 point scale, for a possible maximum total of 1600. Students also get two ‘subscores’ on the writing section: a multiple-choice score from 20 to 80. There is also scope for SAT super scoring which is available for students to submit at those universities which accept such SAT results and scores.

There is a different way to calculate average SAT scores, want to know more? Check out the Digital SAT score calculator at - How to Calculate SAT Scores?

SAT Digital Test Results

Test results are typically released within 2-3 weeks of the test administration and can be viewed online. Students can choose to send their test scores to colleges of their choice. They also have the option to cancel their test score or withhold them from being sent to certain colleges. For additional SAT score reports, applicants will have to pay additionally, usually four free SAT score reports are free and after that, score reports are chargeable. 

Check out: SAT 2024 Cutoff for Top Colleges

How Can Students Prepare for SAT Digital Exam?

SAT exam preparation is usually a 2-3 month long process based on the applicant's previous knowledge. Applicants can use the following strategies to ace their SAT preparations:

• Understand the SAT Digital exam format and syllabus and check where would you need maximum time for preparation.
• Make a schedule, plan how you will go about your SAT exam prep section-wise and follow it.
• Students can also purchase ‘The Official SAT Guide’ or the ‘Official SAT Online Course’ on the College Board website. Detailed information about several practice resources is available at SAT Best Books & Resources
• Once you are confident, you must take Digital SAT practice tests and analyse how you perform.
• In case you need more help, you can prepare using Khan Academy tutorials. 

Practice and consistency are a must to keep the momentum of the Digital SAT exam's preparation going. Also, solving Digital SAT practice tests can also be beneficial for applicants. 

How Many Times Should Students Re-Take Digital SAT?

At least half of all students re-take the SAT twice, and most students do see an improvement in their scores the second time they take the test. It is not uncommon for students to retake the SAT multiple times, and in most cases, they will have a higher score. There are many reasons behind this, many students take the test more than once to increase their chances of being accepted to their dream school, some test-takers are nervous or anxious on the first day, and others may be more confident on the second time around.

However, students should be cautioned against taking the SAT too many times, since no evidence taking the SAT exam multiple times significantly changes your score. Instead, students should focus their time on other important components of their college application and on doing well at school. Students should also note that some universities might ask to see all your scores.

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