Jefferson County, Alabama (WBMA) — Commencing March 9th, high school students will undertake a novel digital Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
Introduced globally in 2023, the new digital format of the test has been well-received by students, who have reported it to be more user-friendly and less anxiety-inducing.
The digital version of the test will require students to invest an hour less in completion, featuring a reduced number of questions. Priscilla Rodriguez, representing the College Board, highlighted the incorporation of a new adaptive component in the test.
Rodriguez explained, “The test adjusts the subsequent set of questions to align either slightly more challenging or easier based on the student’s proficiency and performance level. This adaptive approach ensures that students reach the same outcome without having to tackle numerous extra questions that may either be too simplistic or overly challenging for them.”
This adaptive feature will trim the test duration from 3 hours to 2 hours.
Assuring the preparedness for any technical glitches during the tests, Rodriguez mentioned that technical support will be available during each test session. Students keen on familiarizing themselves with the test format can utilize the Bluebook app for practice.
Following the pandemic, numerous colleges nationwide have waived the requirement of SAT scores in their applications. Consequently, the College Board observed a slight decline in senior participation, with 1.9 million seniors completing the test in 2023 compared to 2.2 million in 2020.
In 2023, only 3% of high school seniors in Alabama opted to take the SAT, as per the College Board’s data.
Despite the evolving landscape of college admissions, Rodriguez emphasized that the test still holds value for certain students.
“Approximately 80% of students express a desire to have the option to submit a test score with their college applications. They aim to showcase their proficiency in the fundamental areas of reading, writing, and math through the SAT, evaluate their performance, possibly practice and retake the test, and then make an informed decision on whether to include that score as part of their comprehensive application package,” Rodriguez stated.