Digital SAT: Changes You Need to Know About
The SAT has undergone several significant changes over the years, and understanding these differences can help students prepare more effectively for the current version of the test.
Many families may be familiar with the SAT and its format from how it worked prior to 2023; students often took the exam in-school, paper/pencil. Since the 2023-2024 application season, though, there have been significant changes in where and how the exam is administered, and exactly what is on it.
Traditionally, the SAT was a static, 1600-point test divided into Reading/Writing and Math sections, with a mandatory essay and questions that often relied on memorization of vocabulary or formulaic problem-solving. The current version (dubbed the Digital SAT), however, is fully digital and adaptive, creating an experience that emphasizes critical thinking, reasoning, and real-world problem-solving over rote knowledge. Taking the test on a computer allows students to use built-in tools like calculators, highlighting, and easy navigation between questions, making it more user-friendly and less dependent on physical test-taking strategies.
The adaptive design of the new exam means that, instead of a fixed set of questions, the difficulty adjusts in real time based on a student’s performance. Correct answers can lead to more challenging questions, while mistakes may result in slightly easier items, helping the test measure skill level more accurately. The content of the SAT has also shifted slightly; Reading and Writing now focus heavily on evidence-based reasoning, comprehension, and analytical thinking, rather than vocab. Math emphasizes algebra, problem-solving, and data analysis through multi-step questions that test understanding rather than memorization. The essay, which was once required and opinion-based, is now optional and focuses on analyzing an author’s argument, reinforcing the test’s emphasis on evaluation and reasoning.
Finally, it is important to note that there has been a change in where the Digital SAT is taken by students, as the Digital SAT is no longer administered by CPS high schools. Instead, since 2025, CPS has administered an ACT test. As such, CPS students must register to take the SAT outside of school. Non-CPS students should be sure to check which exam their school is administering.
Test Prep Chicago is prepared to help your students navigate the changes from the old SAT and the ways of older standardized exams to the new ways of the Digital SAT. In addition to providing students with both a diagnostic and final exam based on the Digital SAT, students in our SAT prep course (which begins this weekend) receive packets of material to fill out pertaining to each section on the exam, which they will review with a tutor, test-taking strategies, and virtual homework assignments. The course begins this weekend and can be enrolled for here; make sure to sign up before slots fill up!