![DEFINING THE DIGITAL - Freshman Lydia Pawlowski views the digital SAT registration on her computer. “It's a big change [the switch to a digital SAT] but it could be beneficial to some people,” Pawlowski said.](https://verdemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSCF6587-1200x800.jpg)
The College Board is transitioning to digital SAT, PSAT and AP tests this year nationwide in order to increase accessibility.
Starting this March, all SATs and PSATs will be strictly digital following the digital Palo Alto High School senior SAT and junior PSAT occurring on Oct. 11. According to the college board website, the digital SAT will be considerably shorter at around two hours total with adjustments made to the English and the math sections compared to the traditional three hour test.
Additionally, The College Board will offer traditional pen and paper AP tests for all subjects, and is piloting the digital AP tests this spring in AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP European History, AP Seminar, AP U.S. History, AP World History: Modern and in some schools AP African American Studies.
Some students are excited for the new digital format and believe that it could help improve performance.
“I didn’t like the paper SAT and I kind of want to try something new,” junior Stefan Sochacki said.
Other students intend to take the paper test as soon as possible, in an attempt to avoid the digital version.
“I just wanted to have a good understanding of what exactly would be on the test because I didn’t know if the digital one would have different variations and questions,” junior Sasha Kapadia said.“There are more resources available to me for the paper one compared to the digital one.”