Last year, Townsend Harris High School students tried out the digital version of the SAT for the first time. While many students may not be excited to see standardized test mandates return for college admissions, the introduction of a digital SAT is a positive step forward that will, overall, improve the test-taking experience for such a significant exam.
One of the best changes the digital SAT brings with it is its shortened length. Compared to previous versions of the exam, the digital SAT is significantly shorter and features shorter reading passages. These shorter passages directly target students’ analysis and comprehension skills by allowing for more direct and complex questions about the texts to be asked. With the heavy emphasis on reading at THHS, our students should be ready to take on these abbreviated texts.
Furthermore, for those who require special accommodations, the new computerized SAT offers better options than the traditional version. Previously, it would take students with these accommodations days to finish the tests depending on how much extra time accommodations they receive. This made it challenging when scouting a testing space for these students, as they could require accommodations for two consecutive days. With the new SAT length, students with IEPs are now able to finish the test under better conditions.
Not only are students able to finish quicker, but the personalization of the digital SAT makes it easier to administer the test to those with learning disabilities due to the test’s adaptive software. This advanced technology measures a student’s ability more accurately. The exam’s computer-adaptation determines the difficulty level of questions on future sections by analyzing how well students did on previous sections.
Above all, everything is online, which offers a shorter turnaround time for the scoring of tests. Instead of taking months, students can expect their results within a matter of days. This is especially beneficial to those with a short window between taking their SATs and submitting their results to colleges.
Although digital testing has many benefits, their dependence on WiFi can lead to many issues. A surplus of users can cause a dramatic issue with internet speed. On her experience last year, senior Ana Ramlagan said, “My only complaint was the issue of technical difficulties, as while I was towards the end of math module 1, my test froze and logged out due to a loss of WiFi connection, and I lost 2-3 minutes of testing time. I was then sent back and forth with the tech support at my testing center and after the issue was fixed, I kind of lost motivation because of how chaotic the experience was.” Though Ana also shared a general positive response to her digital experience, this WiFi issue is significant and needs careful planning and organizing.
Staggering students to prevent cheating also proves a challenge due to the limited space in THHS classrooms, with the average classroom only able to hold around 34 students when they’re only distanced about a foot away from each other. Despite this, the benefits of the digital SAT far outweigh the cons.
As colleges continue to return to requiring standardized tests for admissions, the introduction of the digital SAT is something that could help students. Though students may miss the days when the SATs were entirely optional, the digital SAT offers a modernized update to the paper exam that makes having to take the test a little more bearable.
