Modernizing Standardized Tests

 

If you somehow missed it, the SAT began administering its new, digital version this spring in the United States. While responses to the adaptive test were varied, it was a necessary evolution for College Board, and one I believe will be advantageous in the long run by making the test more accessible, more equitable, and simply better at differentiating high-achievers. But not to be left behind, the ACT announced this week its own test overhaul. So what, exactly, should you expect from these new tests, and how should you prepare? These are the New SAT and ACT Changes.

Understanding the New SAT

College Board, the organization behind the SAT, is proud of its new test, explicitly stating on their website that it is not simply a digitized version of the old paper and pencil test. Instead, College Board implemented various updates to address lingering concerns about the test’s fairness and ability to “measure the knowledge and skills that matter most for college and career.” While the test remains graded on a 1600-point scale, it’s shorter at around 2 hours (down from 3, in part due to shorter reading passages), and offers a calculator built into the testing application, Bluebook tm , which can be used on all math sections.

The most significant change from an experiential standpoint, however, is the adaptive aspect of the test. As a student moves through the test, the questions they encounter become more or less difficult based on the accuracy of their prior answers. The SAT follows what’s known as a multistage adaptive design, wherein each test section (Reading and Writing, and Math) is divided into two equal-length, separately-timed parts. In the first module, students receive a varied mix of easy, medium, and difficult questions, while the second module becomes more or less difficult based on the student’s performance on the first module.

One thing to point out is how coy College Board is about the relationship between module routing and score. The organization asserts, “No matter which module you’re routed to, the most important thing to keep in mind is to do your best. Your score will be accurate, and you won’t get a lower score just because you saw a lower difficulty set of questions.” What they mean is, your score won’t be lower relative to the score you might have otherwise scored on a non-adaptive test, not relative to a perfect 1600.

To their point, you should simply focus on performing your best on every question, but understand that only students routed to the most difficult second module have a shot at scoring a 1600. And remember, students are able to jump in between questions in a particular module (not back and forth between modules) and it remains important to answer every question—just as on the old test, there is no penalty for guessing.

Understanding the New ACT

The ACT test, a marquee product of the larger non-profit organization of the same name, purportedly transforms “college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential.” While this is perhaps an optimistic view of the work they do, the test itself does offer a suitable alternative to the SAT, one that often appeals to students who lean toward the liberal arts and away from STEM-related disciplines. So, what have they done to improve their product and service, slated to go live in spring 2025 (national online) and spring 2026 (school-day)?

First, to substantiate my assertion above about leaning more toward the liberal arts, test-takers must take the English, reading, and math sections, but now have the ability to choose whether to take the science section—the writing section remains optional. Thus, the college-reportable composite score (still graded on a 36-point scale) will either contain the core ACT, the ACT plus science, the ACT plus writing, or the ACT plus science and writing. Ostensibly, according to the organization, students have the ability to highlight their strengths.

But, to be clear, schools will note which sections are being reported and assume the scores on those sections a student opts out of taking are lower than the school’s average. It’s nice to have the flexibility, but on some level, this is simply a “test-optional” derivative, and one schools will have to adapt their policies to address. Some will likely require the science and/or writing section in addition to the core.

Additionally, like the SAT, the new ACT is shorter as a consequence of shorter reading passages and fewer questions in each section. Providing students more time on each question, the change is designed to make the test more manageable and less fatiguing.

Which Test is Right for You?

It’s a good idea during (or immediately after) your sophomore year of high school to take diagnostics for both the ACT and SAT to assess your relative performance. Do this with your tentative school list in mind so as to compare your score to their averages, and in order to determine school-specific testing policies—specifically, whether a school seemingly prefers to accept students who submit the SAT over the ACT, or vice-versa.

To do this, you’ll want to access the Common Data Set for a given school and compare the number of students submitting one test or the other to the overall number of admitted and enrolled students. Plan accordingly, but it goes without saying that it’s best to submit whichever test reflects your best performance.

Preparing for the New Standardized Tests

Besides the New SAT and ACT Changes, preparation remains much the same. Begin preparation as early as possible in order to do it in as stress-free a manner as
possible, and in order to assess areas for improvement along the way so as to focus your energy appropriately. For basic concepts, it doesn’t matter how you study, but you’ll want your practice tests to be predominately taken in the form in which you’ll ultimately take the test.

If you’re taking the ACT, decide whether you prefer the paper and pencil or digital version—the organization continues to offer both—and practice in that format. For the SAT, you can study however you wish, but set aside particular “testing” days in which you create an environment that as closely approximates that of a testing room as possible, and perform the practice tests with strict time limits and oversight from a “proctor,” who might be a family member, or, perhaps, if necessary, a particularly surly-looking pillow.