SAT will go fully digital by 2024

Starting in 2024, the SAT will be administered entirely online, eliminating the current paper and pencil test. The College Board announced this decision Tuesday, Jan. 25.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and debates over bias in standardized tests, many American colleges have eliminated the requirement for the SAT and ACT on applications. In hopes of change, the College Board believes that this new virtual structure will reduce stress and give students an opportunity to raise test scores.

“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, Vice President of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, in an official statement. “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible.”

Complaints regarding the length of the test and loss of focus have contributed to changes in test format. The 2024 test will allow calculators for the entire math portion, include shortened reading passages and last two hours rather than three.

The SAT will continue to be administered on paper for American students until 2024.