sat essay length vs score

SAT Essay Scores Explained

On january 19th, 2021, college board announced that they will no longer administer the sat subject tests in the u.s. and that the essay would be retired. read our blog post  to understand what this means in the near term and what the college board has in store for students down the road., our articles on subject tests and the sat essay will remain on our site for reference purposes as colleges and students transition to a revised testing landscape..

Why are there no percentiles for the essay on an SAT score report?

No percentiles or norms are provided in student reports. Even colleges do not receive any summary statistics. Given Compass’ concerns about the inaccuracy of essay scoring and the notable failures of the ACT on that front, the de-emphasis of norms would seem to be a good thing. The problem is that 10% of colleges are sticking with the SAT Essay as an admission requirement . While those colleges will not receive score distribution reports from the College Board, it is not difficult for them to construct their own statistics—officially or unofficially—based on thousands of applicants. Colleges can determine a “good score,” but students cannot. This asymmetry of information is harmful to students, as they are left to speculate how well they have performed and how their scores will be interpreted. Through our analysis, Compass hopes to provide students and parents more context for evaluating SAT Essay scores.

How has scoring changed? Is it still part of a student’s Total Score?

On the old SAT, the essay was a required component of the Writing section and made up approximately one-third of a student’s 200–800 score. The essay score itself was simply the sum (2–12) of two readers’ 1–6 scores. Readers were expected to grade holistically and not to focus on individual components of the writing. The SAT essay came under a great deal of criticism for being too loosely structured. Factual accuracy was not required; it was not that difficult to make pre-fabricated material fit the prompt; many colleges found the 2–12 essay scores of little use; and the conflation of the essay and “Writing” was, in some cases, blocking the use of the SAT Writing score—which included grammar and usage—entirely.

With the 2016 overhaul of the SAT came an attempt to make the essay more academically defensible while also making it optional (as the ACT essay had long been). The essay score is not a part of the 400–1600 score. Instead, a student opting to take the SAT Essay receives 2–8 scores in three dimensions: reading, analysis, and writing. No equating or fancy lookup table is involved. The scores are simply the sum of two readers’ 1–4 ratings in each dimension. There is no official totaling or averaging of scores, although colleges may choose to do so.

Readers avoid extremes

What is almost universally true about grading of standardized test essays is that readers gravitate to the middle of the scale. The default instinct is to nudge a score above or below a perceived cutoff or midpoint rather than to evenly distribute scores. When the only options are 1, 2, 3, or 4, the consequence is predictable—readers give out a lot of 2s and 3s and very few 1s and 4s. In fact, our analysis shows that 80% of all reader scores are 2s or 3s. This, in turn, means that most of the dimension scores (the sum of the two readers) range from 4 to 6. Analysis scores are outliers. A third of readers give essays a 1 in Analysis. Below is the distribution of reader scores across all dimensions.

What is a good SAT Essay score?

By combining multiple data sources—including extensive College Board scoring information—Compass has estimated the mean and mode (most common) essay scores for students at various score levels. We also found that the reading and writing dimensions were similar, while analysis scores lagged by a point across all sub-groups. These figures should not be viewed as cutoffs for “good” scores. The loose correlation of essay score to Total Score and the high standard deviation of essay scores means that students at all levels see wide variation of scores. The average essay-taking student scores a 1,080 on the SAT and receives just under a 5/4/5.

College Board recently released essay results for the class of 2017, so score distributions are now available. From these, percentiles can also be calculated. We provide these figures with mixed feelings. On the one hand, percentile scores on such an imperfect measure can be highly misleading. On the other hand, we feel that students should understand the full workings of essay scores.

The role of luck

What is frustrating to many students on the SAT and ACT is that they can score 98th percentile in most areas and then get a “middling” score on the essay. This result is actually quite predictable. Whereas math and verbal scores are the result of dozens of objective questions, the essay is a single question graded subjectively. To replace statistical concepts with a colloquial one—far more “luck” is involved than on the multiple-choice sections. What text is used in the essay stimulus? How well will the student respond to the style and subject matter? Which of the hundreds of readers were assigned to grade the student’s essay? What other essays has the reader recently scored?

Even good writers run into the unpredictability involved and the fact that essay readers give so few high scores. A 5 means that the Readers A and B gave the essay a 2 and a 3, respectively. Which reader was “right?” If the essay had encountered two readers like Reader A, it would have received a 4. If the essay had been given two readers like Reader B, it would have received a 6. That swing makes a large difference if we judge scores exclusively by percentiles, but essay scores are simply too blurry to make such cut-and-dry distinctions. More than 80% of students receive one of three scores—4, 5, or 6 on the reading and writing dimensions and 3, 4, or 5 on analysis.

What do colleges expect?

It’s unlikely that many colleges will release a breakdown of essay scores for admitted students—especially since so few are requiring it. What we know from experience with the ACT , though, is that even at the most competitive schools in the country, the 25th–75th percentile scores of admitted students were 8–10 on the ACT’s old 2–12 score range. We expect that things will play out similarly for the SAT and that most students admitted to highly selective colleges will have domain scores in the 5–7 range (possibly closer to 4–6 for analysis). It’s even less likely for students to average a high score across all three areas than it is to obtain a single high mark. We estimate that only a fraction of a percent of students will average an 8—for example [8/8/8, 7/8/8, 8/7/8, or 8,8,7].

Update as of October 2017. The University of California system has published the 25th–75th percentile ranges for enrolled students. It has chosen to work with total scores. The highest ranges—including those at UCLA and Berkeley—are 17–20. Those scores are inline with our estimates above.

How will colleges use the domain scores?

Colleges have been given no guidance by College Board on how to use essay scores for admission. Will they sum the scores? Will they average them? Will they value certain areas over others? Chances are that if you are worrying too much about those questions, then you are likely losing sight of the bigger picture. We know of no cases where admission committees will make formulaic use of essay scores. The scores are a very small, very error-prone part of a student’s testing portfolio.

How low is too low?

Are 3s and 4s, then, low enough that an otherwise high-scoring student should retest? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. In general, it is a mistake to retest solely to improve an essay score unless a student is confident that the SAT Total Score can be maintained or improved. A student with a 1340 PSAT and 1280 SAT may feel that it is worthwhile to bring up low essay scores because she has previously shown that she can do better on the Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math, as well. A student with a 1400 PSAT and 1540 SAT should think long and hard before committing to a retest. Admission results from the class of 2017 may give us some added insight into the use of SAT Essay scores.

Will colleges continue to require the SAT Essay?

For the class of 2017, Compass has prepared a list of the SAT Essay and ACT Writing policies for 360 of the top colleges . Several of the largest and most prestigious public university systems—California, Michigan, and Texas, for example, still require the essay, and a number of highly competitive private colleges do the same—for example, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

The number of excellent colleges not requiring the SAT Essay, though, is long and getting longer. Compass expects even more colleges to drop the essay requirement for the classes of 2018 and 2019. Policies are typically finalized in late spring or during the summer.

Should I skip the essay entirely?

A common question regarding SAT scores is whether the whole mess can be avoided by skipping the essay. After all, if only about 10% of colleges are requiring the section, is it really that important? Despite serious misgivings about the test and the ways scores are interpreted, Compass still recommends that most students take the essay unless they are certain that they will not be applying to any of the colleges requiring or recommending it. Nationally, about 70% of students choose to take the essay on at least one SAT administration. When looking at higher scoring segments, that quickly rises to 85–90%. Almost all Compass students take the SAT Essay at least once to insure that they do not miss out on educational opportunities.

Should I prepare for the SAT Essay?

Most Compass students decide to do some preparation for the essay, because taking any part of a test “cold” can be an unpleasant experience, and students want to avoid feeling like a retake is necessary. In addition to practicing exercises and tests, most students can perform well enough on the SAT Essay after 1–2 hours of tutoring. Students taking a Compass practice SAT will also receive a scored essay. Students interested in essay writing tips for the SAT can refer to Compass blog posts on the difference between the ACT and SAT tasks  and the use of first person on the essays .

Will I be able to see my essay?

Yes. ACT makes it difficult to obtain a copy of your Writing essay, but College Board includes it as part of your online report.

Will colleges have access to my essay? Even if they don’t require it?

Yes, colleges are provided with student essays. We know of very few circumstances where SAT Essay reading is regularly conducted. Colleges that do not require the SAT Essay fall into the “consider” and “do not consider” camps. Schools do not always list this policy on their website or in their application materials, so it is hard to have a comprehensive list. We recommend contacting colleges for more information. In general, the essay will have little to no impact at colleges that do not require or recommend it.

Is the SAT Essay a reason to take the ACT instead?

Almost all colleges that require the SAT Essay require Writing for ACT-takers. The essays are very different on the two tests, but neither can be said to be universally “easier” or “harder.” Compass recommends that the primary sections of the tests determine your planning. Compass’ content experts have also written a piece on how to attack the ACT essay .

Key links in this post:

ACT and SAT essay requirements ACT Writing scores explained Comparing ACT and SAT essay tasks The use of first person in ACT and SAT essays Understanding the “audience and purpose” of the ACT essay Compass proctored practice testing for the ACT, SAT, and Subject Tests

About Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.

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Hi! I’m a high school junior who took the October and November SATs. I got a 1500 on October and then retook it to get a 1590 in November. I’m very happy with my score, but my essays are troubling me. I got a 6-4-6 in October and thought I would improve in November, but I got a 6-3-6. I really cannot improve my actual SAT score, but I don’t understand the essay. I’ve always been a good writer and have consistently been praised for it in English class and outside of class. Is this essay score indicative of my writing skill? And will this essay hurt my chances at Ivy League and other top tier schools? None of the schools I plan on applying to require it, but, since I have to submit it, will it hurt my chances? Thank you so much.

Maya, The essay is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Honestly, a 6-4-6 is a fine score and will not hurt your chances for admission. It’s something of an odd writing task, so I wouldn’t worry that it doesn’t match your writing skills elsewhere.

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Students taking the latest version of the SAT have a lot of questions about the Essay section in particular. When the College Board redesigned the SAT in 2016, the Essay section was the aspect of the test that changed most substantially.

As a result, it is the section that is least understood. Keep reading to learn how we approach setting a good target score for this often enigmatic section of the SAT.

What Is the SAT Essay?

Students taking the optional Essay section are provided with a written argument and asked to analyze it. Check out the College Board’s example prompt with sample graded responses to get a sense of what the exam looks like.

Is the SAT Essay Required?

This is the only optional section of the SAT. It does not impact your overall score out of 1600. Instead, your Essay grade stands alone on your score report.

While the College Board does not require the SAT Essay, certain schools do. 

Schools that Require the SAT Essay

• All of the University of California schools
• Benedictine University
• City University London
• Delaware State University
• DeSales University
• Dominican University of California
• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
• Howard University
• John Wesley University
• Kentucky State University
• Martin Luther College
• Molloy College
• Schreiner University
• Soka University of America
• Southern California Institute of Architecture
• Texas A&M University—Galveston
• United States Military Academy (West Point)
• University of North Texas
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology
• Western Carolina University

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Additionally, these schools do not require the SAT Essay but recommend it.

Schools that Recommend the SAT Essay

• Abilene Christian University
• Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Allegheny College
• Amherst College
• Art Institute of Houston
• Augsburg University
• Austin College
• Caldwell University
• California State University, Northridge
• Central Connecticut State University
• Central Michigan University
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Coastal Carolina University
• Colby College
• College of Wooster
• Colorado School of Mines
• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Corban University
• Cornerstone University
• Dallas Christian College
• Duke University
• Eastern Illinois University
• Eastern Nazarene College
• Easternn University
• Endicott College
• Five Towns College
• Gallaudet University
• George Washington University
• Georgia Highlands College
• Greenville University
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• High Point University
• Hofstra University
• Holy Family University
• Husson University
• Indiana University South Bend
• Indiana University Southeast
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Barranquitas Campus
• Juilliard School
• Keiser University (West Palm Beach)
• Lehigh University
• Madonna University
• Manhattan College
• Marymount California University
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• McMurry University
• Mercy College
• Modern College of Design
• Montana Tech of the University of Montana
• Morehouse College
• Mount Saint Mary College
• Mount St. Joseph University
• National-Louis University
• New Jersey City University
• Nichols College
• North Park University
• Occidental College
• Ohio University
• Oregon State University
• Purdue University Northwest
• Randall University
• Randolph-Macon College
• Reading Area Community College
• Rowan University
• Rutgers University—Camden Campus
• Rutgers University—Newark Campus
• Saint Michael’s College
• Seton Hill University
• Shiloh University
• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• Silver Lake College of the Holy Family
• Southern Illinois University of Carbondale
• Southern Oregon University
• Spring Hill College
• Sul Ross State University
• SUNY Farmingdale State College
• SUNY University at Stony Brook
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M International University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• The King’s College
• United States Air Force Academy
• University of Evansville
• University of La Verne
• University of Mary Hardin—Baylor
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Minnesota: Twin Cities
• University of New England
• University of Northwestern—St. Paul
• University of the Virgin Islands
• University of Toledo
• University of Washington Bothell
• VanderCook College of Music
• Virginia Union University
• Wabash College
• Webb Institute
• Webber International University
• Wesleyan College
• William Jewell College

Should You Take the SAT Essay Section?

We recommend taking the Essay section just in case you want to apply to one of the schools that requires or recommends it. If you’re absolutely sure you won’t apply to any of these schools, you can skip it. Just know that you can’t retake the SAT essay alone, so if you change your mind and want to apply to a school that requires the Essay section, you’ll have to retake the whole test.

How Is the SAT Essay Scored?

Your essay will be evaluated on three criteria—Reading, Analysis, and Writing.

The Reading grade is meant to gauge how well you understand the passage content. Did you absorb the information you just read? Especially when the details are not intuitive, your readers will be checking to see that you read closely and caught the nuance of the piece.

The Analysis score relates to how well you represented the argument that the writer made. Your goal in the Essay section should be to determine what the writer’s main argument is and describe how they present it. 

Finally, your score in Writing reflects your own command over the English language. Your capacity to write clear, well-structured sentences that use a wide range of vocabulary will determine this grade.

Two readers each give the essay a score between 1 and 4, depending on how well each reader thinks you did in the three categories. Their grades are then summed to give you a three-part grade. The highest grade you can receive is 8, 8, 8, while the lowest possible score is 2, 2, 2. To give an example, one student may score a 5, 4, 4, which would mean that their readers submitted the following feedback:

What’s a Good, Average, and Bad SAT Essay Score?

In 2019, the mean score on the Reading and Writing for the SAT Essay was a 5. For the Analysis section, the mean score was a little lower at 3, simply because Analysis is a skill that high school students spend less time honing than Reading or Writing.

For a detailed breakdown of how 2019’s test takers performed, here are a few score distributions:

Here’s a rough breakdown of the percentile scores based on the most recent College Board data. Here’s how this chart works: say you scored a 6 on the Reading section. According to the data, that means that you performed better than 70% of other essay writers.

SAT Essay Score Percentile Rankings

Source: College Board and CollegeVine data analysis

How Should You Understand and Improve Your SAT Essay Score?

Unless your SAT Essay score is rock-bottom, you should not feel the need to retest just to improve your Essay score. If you received a low score that you feel isn’t representative of your writing abilities, focus on crafting stellar college essays instead of retaking the SAT just for the Essay section.

If you were unhappy with your SAT Essay score AND your overall SAT score, however, then you should consider retaking the test with the Essay section. 

Here are a few tips on how to improve your SAT Essay score:

1. Annotate the passage. Read carefully. Start by boxing the main argument of the passage, then put a star next to three or four places where the author employs a strategy to win the readers over. These may include:

• Refuting a counter argument
• Raising a question
• Providing anecdotal evidence
• Using statistics to support a claim
• Citing historical examples
• Employing rhetorical devices, such as metaphor

2. State the main point of the passage author. Make it clear that you understand what the author is trying to say by stating their thesis clearly in your essay response. No one reading your essay should have any doubt as to what you think the main point of the passage is.

Make the author’s thesis clear at the beginning of your response as well as in your concluding paragraph. Tie back to it often within your body paragraphs too.

3. Outline before you write. Spend 3-5 minutes organizing your thoughts. Build up 2-4 points about the argument’s structure. Think of yourself as a debate coach. Give feedback on the persuasion tactics the author used. Which ones were most effective? What could they have done to sway their audience even more?

Remembered the strategies you starred when you were annotating? These are the building blocks of the author’s argument, and your essay should provide analysis of how effectively these building blocks were used.

4. DO NOT include your personal opinion. The essay exists to assess whether you can analyze an argument. It has nothing to do with your personal views. If you find yourself defending or disagreeing with the passage, that is a good sign that you are missing a chance to analyze the argument’s structure.

5. Proofread your essay. Give yourself 2 minutes towards the end of the section to improve the language you used. Search for spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as weak word choice. Replace monosyllabic words like “good” and “is” with more dynamic vocabulary, such as “striking” or “constitutes.” This is a quick and easy way to boost your Writing score.

For more advice on how to study for the Essay section, check out our How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT Essay and The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Essay .

Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!

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SAT essay: length vs. score (a rant)

<p><a href=“ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/education/04education.html[/url] ”> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/education/04education.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt ;

<p>Consider the article. A professor from MIT has discovered a strong positive correlation between essay length and grade.</p>

<p>What are your rants/opinions about the sat essay?</p>

<p>To me the sat essay is pointless. Scratching something for 25 minutes can hardly be a good sample of your writing. At most, it reveals whether you suffer from writer’s block and whether you can spew up to two pages of nonsense for 25 minutes in response to some random quotation. And of course the longer the better. The more you fill up the page with random examples, preferrably from literature, the more points you get even if you are vaguely familiar with the example. Possibly the essay was added so that collegeboard and test-prep companies (barrons, pr, kaplan, etc) could offer new, more expensive books and courses. Not everyone who took the old sat had to take sat 2 writing but now everyone who takes the new sat has to write an essay. Hell, that’s why taking the new sat costs more…</p>

<p>Have you seen the Washington post cartoon? It says the same thing. let me find the site <a href=“ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinion/toles.html?name=Toles&date=20050505[/url] ”> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinion/toles.html?name=Toles&date=20050505&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt ;

<p>I listened to that professor getting interviewed on NPR as I drove to the test site yesterday morning. I found it interesting, but I wasn’t surprised at all.</p>

<p>I have no problem BSing 400 words for a high score, but it does irk me that the SAT now costs $12 more since they’re obviously not spending much time gradiing them at all. I know it doesn’t cost them $12 more/each to make up a prompt and spend three minutes grading it.</p>

<p>Ah, now I get it. The essay score is a fraction! 5 out of 6 means that you used roughly 5/6 of the total space =)</p>

<p>i honestly dont believe you can write nonsense and get a good grade</p>

<p>writing the full length is also about creativity and your ability to think of things out of nothing. is it a great way to test this? probably not. would you rather have to analyze 2 poems and a prose passage? i doubt it</p>

<p>Well of course, creativity counts. Recalling facts(even incorrectly) and remembering things out of nothing are not things everyone suceeds in. I wonder: could you make up books and authors on the sat essay? It’s even harder to write personal accounts, but they often not appreciated by the graders. If you can relate the quote to a personal experience and describe that in two pages - well done!</p>

<p>But what about the standard essay formula: Thesis+3 examples+conclusion. This leads to ridiculous essays and making stuff up. It is also disturbing that quantity takes precedence over quality. Sure the essay has to be on topic and to have good examples, but does that mean that it should take up all the space?</p>

<p>But hey, just be glad you know how to beat it now, eh? It’s not like you really thought a 25 minute essay and a few dozen MC editing questions were really going to demonstrate your writing abilities…</p>

<p>no. that length stuff is definitely not always true.</p>

<p>On the March SAT, I filled the first page and 3/4 of the next and I got a 12. I didn’t have to use it all.</p>

<p>My friend, on the other hand, who always writes lengthy essays only got an 11. </p>

<p>If you know how to write, you should get a 12. Screw this length nonsense. </p>

<p>And another interesting fact, i read a Newsweek article published shortly after the March test which said that essays that went for the 4 paragraph approach did generally better than those with 5 paragraphs.</p>

<p>Personally, I went into the essay knowing that if I wrote furiously and was prosaic and verbose without really getting at anything then I would probably score decently. I got a 12 on the SAT and ACT writing. For the SAT writing, I refuted the prompt in that my thesis essentially said that I felt it was a fallacy to even make that statement (About creativity). I don’t really think they cared. When I got my score, I had a friend read it, and he got just as good of a laugh out of it as I had writing it- not to say I enjoyed it, but I wanted to see if they were true to their word about “writing on topic.” Its honestly ludicrous to test our writing, and I know that the top grade in my Honors English Class (Jr- we only offer AP Eng. Lang., and it’s Sr-only) got a 7 on the SAT essay- but she is a most excellent writer, as I have read her papers on numerous occasions. Its a crapshoot- my best friend got a 9 and is an excellent writer; she presented complex analysis and on the spot illusions and analogies. But she didn’t fill the pages. I did, on both the SAT and ACT. </p>

<p>Additionally, a similar editorial was in my local paper, Sacramento Bee. It’s really ridiculous, even more so than with the writing-- I consistently score lowest on math (my ACT subscore was 32, whereas my composite was 34) and my SAT math on the new was 700. I’m not one to study- but I would probably say my Calc class is my favorite, I’m on a regional math team, and overall I math is, and always has been one of my best subjects. Yet consistenly, I test comparitively poorly. So, the test represents me? No-- on of my other good friends scores in a much lower percentile due in part to her upbringing at an “open school” where they encourage creativity and greatly limit testing. We are brought up to test- and without that “skill” being impounded in us, many of our brains would not be able to sit in a box that way. This girl is brilliant, really, and I have such faith she’s going to do amazing so long as admissions people don’t see her scores and think that all of the amazing things she does are a crock (10 or so college courses througout high school, summer tours with the ACLU, multiple internships at governors office, etc., JSA, girl’s state selection)…Just my two cents…</p>

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The SAT is now digital for the first time. One test expert says the new format makes the test easier.

• A new digital SAT is now being offered for the first time. 
• The test is shorter, adaptive, and tests real-world skills.
• One test expert says it's easier than past versions but clarifies it's still not an easy test. 

In March, the first US high school students took the SAT exam — digitally.

This switch to digital comes as many top-tier colleges, such as Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown, are reversing their decision to be exam-optional — a trend that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a recent study suggests that test scores actually do predict academic performance and college success — better than high school grades.

Shaan Patel — the founder and CEO of Prep Expert, with more than two decades of experience with the popular college entrance exam — told Business Insider the test will be significantly different than in the past. It may even be easier.

The digital SAT has some content changes

For starters, the digital test will be shorter and adaptive. That means the test will get harder as the student progresses through it, but the level of difficulty will depend on how they performed on earlier questions.

According to Patel, the digital SAT is also more "student-friendly" than previous years.

For example, in the past, there was a section where students couldn't use the calculator, but on the digital SAT, Patel said a calculator could be used on all the questions.

"There's even a digital calculator built into the testing application, in case you don't have a graphing calculator," Patel said.

Related stories

In addition, the reading passages are a lot shorter in the new exam. The essay section has also been dissolved, and the grammar questions have now been integrated with the reading section.

"So it really tests your reading and writing together, which I think will be a welcome change for most people," Patel said.

Plus, there are new question types where students read notes and decipher what is most relevant.

"I think that's a super useful skill in the real world where you get a long email, and you have to sift through the important data," Patel said.

He added students no longer have to memorize difficult, obscure vocabulary words that were once required.

The digital SAT is easier

"The new question types are actually testing students in a much more real-world manner than the previous versions of the SAT," Patel said. "Overall, this test will be more relevant to real-world skills . So, I'm optimistic the changes will be good."

He said, in that regard, the SAT will be easier.

"But, I want to be careful about saying it's easy," Patel said. "I don't think it's easy because what's going to happen is with the adaptive testing structure…you are going to see harder questions as you go along, even though you're going to see fewer questions."

Prep for the SAT shouldn't change all that much

Patel recommended that all students download the College Board's Bluebook app , where they can take practice tests and familiarize themselves with the new adaptive feature.

"They must get used to not letting their brain become overused at the end of the test since that is when most students will encounter the hardest questions," Patel said.

But the most important piece of advice remained the same: prep early.

"I usually recommend getting started in 10th grade so that by the time the fall of 11th grade rolls around, you'll be ready to knock the PSAT out of the park," Patel said, "because the PSAT, especially this new digital PSAT , is more similar to the digital SAT than ever."

Watch: The SAT is getting a massive overhaul — and they’re ditching one of the most annoying parts

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Guest Essay

How the SAT Changed My Life

By Emi Nietfeld

Ms. Nietfeld is the author of the memoir “Acceptance.”

This month, the University of Texas, Austin, joined the wave of selective schools reversing Covid-era test-optional admissions policies, once again requiring applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores.

Many colleges have embraced the test-optional rule under the assumption that it bolsters equity and diversity, since higher scores are correlated with privilege. But it turns out that these policies harmed the teenagers they were supposed to help. Many low-income and minority applicants withheld scores that could have gotten them in, wrongly assuming that their scores were too low, according to an analysis by Dartmouth. More top universities are sure to join the reversal. This is a good thing.

I was one of the disadvantaged youths who are often failed by test-optional policies, striving to get into college while in foster care and homeless. We hear a lot about the efforts of these elite schools to attract diverse student bodies and about debates around the best way to assemble a class. What these conversations overlook is the hope these tests offer students who are in difficult situations.

For many of us, standardized tests provided our one shot to prove our potential, despite the obstacles in our lives or the untidy pasts we had. We found solace in the objectivity of a hard number and a process that — unlike many things in our lives — we could control. I will always feel tenderness toward the Scantron sheets that unlocked higher education and a better life.

Growing up, I fantasized about escaping the chaos of my family for the peace of a grassy quad. Both my parents had mental health issues. My adolescence was its own mess. Over two years I took a dozen psychiatric drugs while attending four different high school programs. At 14, I was sent to a locked facility where my education consisted of work sheets and reading aloud in an on-site classroom. In a life skills class, we learned how to get our G.E.D.s. My college dreams began to seem like delusions.

Then one afternoon a staff member handed me a library copy of “Barron’s Guide to the ACT .” I leafed through the onionskin pages and felt a thunderclap of possibility. I couldn’t go to the bathroom without permission, let alone take Advanced Placement Latin or play water polo or do something else that would impress elite colleges. But I could teach myself the years of math I’d missed while switching schools and improve my life in this one specific way.

After nine months in the institution, I entered foster care. I started my sophomore year at yet another high school, only to have my foster parents shuffle my course load at midyear, when they decided Advanced Placement classes were bad for me. In part because of academic instability like this, only 3 percent to 4 percent of former foster youth get a four-year college degree.

Later I bounced between friends’ sofas and the back seat of my rusty Corolla, using my new-to-me SAT prep book as a pillow. I had no idea when I’d next shower, but I could crack open practice problems and dip into a meditative trance. For those moments, everything was still, the terror of my daily life softened by the fantasy that my efforts might land me in a dorm room of my own, with endless hot water and an extra-long twin bed.

Standardized tests allowed me to look forward, even as every other part of college applications focused on the past. The song and dance of personal statements required me to demonstrate all the obstacles I’d overcome while I was still in the middle of them. When shilling my trauma left me gutted and raw, researching answer elimination strategies was a balm. I could focus on equations and readings, like the scholar I wanted to be, rather than the desperate teenager that I was.

Test-optional policies would have confounded me, but in the 2009-10 admissions cycle, I had to submit my scores; my fellow hopefuls and I were all in this together, slogging through multiple-choice questions until our backs ached and our eyes crossed.

The hope these exams instilled in me wasn’t abstract: It manifested in hundreds of glossy brochures. After I took the PSAT in my junior year, universities that had received my score flooded me with letters urging me to apply. For once, I felt wanted. These marketing materials informed me that the top universities offered generous financial aid that would allow me to attend free. I set my sights higher, despite my guidance counselor’s lack of faith.

When I took the actual SAT, I was ashamed of my score. Had submitting it been optional, I most likely wouldn’t have done it, because I suspected my score was lower than the prep-school applicants I was up against (exactly what Dartmouth found in the analysis that led it to reinstate testing requirements). When you grow up the way I did, it’s difficult to believe that you are ever good enough.

When I got into Harvard, it felt like a miracle splitting my life into a before and after. My exam preparation paid off on campus — it was the only reason I knew geometry or grammar — and it motivated me to tackle new, difficult topics. I majored in computer science, having never written a line of code. Though a career as a software engineer seemed far-fetched, I used my SAT study strategies to prepare for technical interviews (in which you’re given one or more problems to solve) that landed me the stable, lucrative Google job that catapulted me out of financial insecurity.

I’m not the only one who feels affection for these tests. At Harvard, I met other students who saw these exams as the one door they could unlock that opened into a new future. I was lucky that the tests offered me hope all along, that I could cling to the promise that one day I could bubble in a test form and find myself transported into a better life — the one I lead today.

Emi Nietfeld is the author of the memoir “ Acceptance .” Previously, she was a software engineer at Google and Facebook.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, is the digital sat easier or harder than the paper version.

SAT General Info

Beginning in Spring 2024, every student who takes the SAT will take the College Board’s new, digital SAT. With the SAT format changing, you probably have lots of questions! Like, is the digital SAT harder? Or is the digital SAT easier? 

We’ll answer all of your questions about the new, digital SAT in this complete guide , including: 

• How will the SAT change when it goes digital? How will it be different from the pencil-and-paper SAT?
• Which changes to the exam are likely to be easier? Harder? 
• How will the digital SAT affect your study plans? 

One of the best ways to prep for the digital SAT is to learn as much about it as possible. So, let’s get started!

Why Is the College Board Making the SAT Digital? 

The College Board says that it is transitioning to a digital SAT in order to make the exam more accessible, relatable, and less stressful for students . 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students struggled to access sites where they could take the paper and pencil SAT. So in order to make the SAT accessible for students around the world no matter the circumstances , the College Board introduced the digital SAT.

Along with increased accessibility, the College Board claims that a digital SAT is more aligned with how students today are learning . Many learning experiences both inside and outside of schools happen on digital devices, and the College Board wants the SAT to keep up with that trend. 

Also, the shorter exam length and extra time per question is designed to make the digital SAT less stressful for students. In general, the College Board intends for all changes to the SAT to help students focus on successfully showing their skills, knowledge, and college and career readiness. 

But is the digital SAT easier than the paper and pencil SAT? Let’s find out!

The only constant in life is change, and that's true with the digital SAT as well. Here are the big differences you can expect.

What’s Changing With the Digital SAT? 

It probably comes as no surprise that the switch from the pencil-and-paper SAT to the digital SAT involves several changes that will affect how students take and prepare for the exam. 

To help you fully understand what the digital SAT will be like, we’ll break down five major changes for the digital SAT and explain how they’ll affect the testing experience. 

Change #1: The SAT Will Be Given in a Different Format 

This might seem straightforward since the digital SAT is “digital,” but in the new format, students will no longer take the exam using pencil and paper. 

Instead, students will take the digital SAT in schools and testing centers using either a digital device that they own (laptop or tablet) or a school-issued device. 

To take the test, students will be given access to a custom-built digital exam application, called Bluebook , that they’ll download prior to test day. They’ll receive full instructions on how to download and use the testing app in advance of their exam day. The digital SAT will be taken and submitted completely online. 

Change #2: The Digital SAT Is Shorter

The digital SAT will be a total of two hours and 14 minutes long , making it about an hour shorter than the paper-and-pencil SAT.

There will be a total of 98 questions on the digital SAT, and it will last for a total of 134 minutes . 

Here’s a breakdown of the timing and number of questions on each section of the digital SAT : 

Change #3: The Digital SAT Has Renamed Sections as Modules

There are four sections on the paper-and-pencil SAT: reading, writing, math with a calculator, and math without a calculator. The digital SAT has four sections as well, only they’re now called modules. 

Also unlike the paper-and-pencil SAT, the digital SAT now has modules. Both sections of the digital SAT are each divided into two modules for four modules total . 

Students will complete two modules in the Reading and Writing section, and another two modules in the Math section. Each module will be timed, and students must complete the first module in each section before moving on to the second module (we’ll talk more about this later).

The digital SAT might have updated content, but it tests a lot of the same content that the paper-and-pencil test did. 

Change #4: The Digital SAT Tests the Same Skills With New Content

Like the pencil and paper SAT, the digital SAT will measure the same skills and knowledge that students learn in high school and that are most important for college and career readiness. But the College Board is making changes to test content to better fit the digital exam structure. 

In general, digital exam questions will be more direct and focused on assessing what students need to know to succeed in college and careers. The digital SAT exam content is designed to better test the knowledge students will use in the future. 

Additionally, the Reading and Writing section will give students shorter texts that are tied to a single question . This is a change from the pencil and paper SAT, which gave students a few long reading passages and multiple questions per passage. 

On the digital SAT Math section, word problems (called “questions in context”) will be more concise than those on the pencil and paper exam. So there will be less reading on the math section of the digital SAT, too! 

Also, the digital SAT will feature a new system called “adaptive testing” to measure students’ math, reading, and writing skills in a more efficient way. Adaptive testing changes the difficulty level of exam questions based on each question that a test taker gets right or wrong. This means that every student’s test will be a little bit different.  

Here’s what we mean: o n both the Reading and Writing section and the Math section, the first module contains a broad mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Based on how students perform on the first module in each section, the second module of questions will either be more difficult or less difficult.

In other words, the digital SAT will adapt the difficulty of the test based on individual test takers’ performance.

Adaptive testing is designed to make testing more secure (it’s harder to leak exam answers when everyone’s test is different!), tailored to students’ needs, and effective at measuring students’ performance. 

Change #5: SAT Scoring

First things first: the SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale . Scores on the digital SAT will also mean the same thing as scores on the pencil-and-paper SAT. For example, a score of 1300 on the digital SAT is the same as a score of 1300 on the pencil-and-paper SAT. 

The score students earn on the digital SAT are calculated based on two factors: the difficulty level of questions they were given and the number of questions answered correctly. The goal is for students’ scores to more accurately reflect their knowledge and skill levels.  

Right now, it’s not clear how this grading rubric will work in practice. But early research on the College Board’s practice tests suggests that harder questions will have a higher value. We’ll continue to update our articles across our website as we learn more. 

Another major change with the digital SAT is that student score reports will be delivered days after the student takes the exam rather than weeks later . This will allow students to make decisions about retaking the SAT and submitting their scores to colleges more quickly. 

And finally, the digital SAT will also provide more resources for students who are looking at options other than four-year colleges . SAT Suite score reports will connect students with information about local two-year colleges, workforce training programs, and how their SAT score connects to career opportunities in areas that interest them. 

Let's take a look at how the digital SAT might be easier.

Is the Digital SAT Easier?

With the SAT transitioning to a new, digital format, it’s normal to wonder, “Is the digital SAT easier? How will this change affect my testing experience and scores?”

Here’s what the College Board says about that : “The digital SAT will continue to measure the skills and knowledge that research shows are crucial to college readiness and success and at the same level of rigor as the current SAT.” In other words, the digital SAT is not designed to be easier than the paper-and-pencil SAT . 

However, the College Board says that the digital format will make the SAT less stressful and more approachable for students. The exam will be shorter, students will have more time per question, and the content on the SAT will be presented in a more direct way. 

The passages on SAT Reading and Writing will be shorter, and the questions on both sections of the exam will be more concise. For many students, that means the questions will be easier to understand. 

The digital SAT also provides tools and resources that the old version didn’t. On the digital SAT, students can flag questions to come back to later instead of having to flip back and forth through a test booklet. Students will also have the option to show or hide a countdown clock on their testing screen that will alert them when they’re running out of time. 

Another bonus is that on the digital SAT Math section, students get a built-in graphing calculator that they can use on the entire section, though students can still bring in their own calculator if they like. Students will also get a digital reference sheet including common formulas, and they’ll have the option to use scratch paper to work on problems. 

To sum it all up: the digital SAT is not designed to be easier than the pencil-and-paper SAT. However, some of the changes to the digital SAT may make accessing the exam, taking the exam, and receiving scores easier for students. 

But adjusting to the new digital SAT might mean you have to work harder, too.

Is the Digital SAT Harder? 

Is the digital SAT harder? As we mentioned earlier, the content on the digital SAT is not designed to be easier or harder than the pencil and paper exam . However, it’s possible that the change to a digital format might create challenges for some test takers. 

First, the digital SAT uses adaptive testing, which determines the difficulty of students’ exam questions based on their performance on earlier questions on the exam. Adaptive testing might make the exam more difficult for some students depending on their learning level. 

Students taking the digital SAT will also have to learn how to access and use Bluebook, a digital exam application, before exam day . While the College Board provides instructions for using Bluebook, downloading and learning how to use Bluebook could be time-consuming and overwhelming for some students. 

Additionally, students who need to borrow a digital device from their school or testing center in order to take the exam will have to spend additional time requesting a device and verifying that they’re eligible to borrow one . 

There’s also the possibility of technical difficulties when testing on a digital device . If the Internet connection fails or the testing app crashes, for instance, students will be interrupted during the exam. While the College Board explains that students’ scores won’t be negatively affected by technical difficulties, a disruption like this could add more stress to an already tough testing experience. 

How To Study for the Digital SAT: 3 Tips

Is the digital SAT easier? Is the digital SAT harder? While the digital SAT is different from the pencil and paper SAT, it isn’t necessarily harder or easier than the current version of the exam. 

At the end of the day, how hard or easy the digital SAT will be for you is going to depend on how well prepared you are. To help you ace the digital SAT, check out our three tips on how to study for the new exam below. 

Tip #1: Get Your Digital Device Ready

First, if you plan to use your own digital device (laptop or tablet), College Board’s exam previews will help you set up your device so it’s compatible with Bluebook . That way, you’ll know your digital device is ready to go before test day. And you won’t have to figure out how to set it up all by yourself. 

Second, these exam previews let you see real test questions in the app and try out all the digital testing tools (e.g., graphing calculator, countdown clock, etc.). This will save you time on exam day because you’ll already be a pro at using Bluebook! 

Tip #2: Use the College Board’s Digital SAT Study Resources

The College Board also provides practice tests to help you prepare for the digital SAT –and they’re all free!

Four digital, adaptive practice exams are available when you download the Bluebook app , which you’ll also use to take your digital SAT on exam day. 

If possible, take all of these practice exams before your test day. That way, you’ll have a handle on what adaptive testing is like before you take the digital exam!

Tip #3: Build a Study Plan and Stick to It 

You’ll still need to study if you want to earn a good score on the digital SAT. Putting together a study plan can help you spread your preparation out over the weeks and months before you actually take the SAT! 

Our step-by-step guide to building an SAT study plan works for the digital test, and it’ll help you prioritize your time so you’re getting the most out of your study sessions. It also helps you figure out the material you need to spend the most time with, so that you’re better prepared to earn top marks on test day. 

Like we mentioned earlier, a lot of the content on the digital SAT will be the same as it was on the older test. You can start studying for the digital SAT with our ultimate SAT study guide to get your prep off on the right foot. 

Of course, you'll want to get the most out of your study sessions. That's where our proven study plans come in . Check them out and pick one that's right for you. 

No study time? No problem . Our ten-day SAT cram plan can help you boost your score in spite of the time crunch. (And if you need more time to prep, here's how you can reschedule your exam .)

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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