The SAT has been around since 1926. Over the last (almost) century, the test has changed a few times. In the 1950s, about half a million students took the SAT each year. In 2023, 1.9 million students took it — up from 1.7 million in 2022. As of 2024, the SAT has changed again. Here鈥檚 what to know about taking and preparing for the SAT.
Recent updates to the SAT
How has the SAT changed recently? First, you can leave your number two pencil at home. As of March 2024, the SAT is digital. You can take your own laptop or tablet, if you wish, or use a device from your school or one provided by College Board.
The SAT now allows calculators for the entire math section. You can either bring your own or use the embedded in the test.
The SAT is now shorter! Only two hours and fourteen minutes long, instead of three hours. Questions are more concise and reading passages are shorter, and — importantly — more time is allotted for each answer. Does this sound comforting for time-stressed students? Great, because here are a few more reassuring statistics: in March 2023, 99.8 percent of students completed the SAT on time. Also, 95 percent of students reported feeling comfortable taking the digital test, and 84 percent reported that their digital testing experience was better than with the paper-and-pencil SAT.
The SAT is now adaptive. This means a student鈥檚 performance on test questions triggers subsequent questions that are either easier (if their answers to prior questions were incorrect) or harder (if their answers to prior questions were correct). In addition, every student receives a unique version of the SAT. This renders it nearly impossible to cheat by sharing answers, ensuring a safer environment.
Prior updates to the SAT
The last time the SAT was changed was in 2016. In that update, they removed the vocabulary word section — the infamously obscure vocabulary words that filled students with dread for decades. So students don鈥檛 get tested on isolated word definitions anymore. But then — and now — it remains valuable to understand some high-brow vocabulary to excel in the 13 to 15 questions in the craft and structure section of the reading and writing section. There are multiple-choice questions where sophisticated vocabulary is embedded into a passage that test-takers need to understand to interpret the text and questions correctly.
In addition, there was less emphasis on memorized facts and more emphasis on reading and analytical thinking. There was a deeper focus on fewer areas of math, including algebra, and test takers no longer lost points for wrong answers.
Also, once upon a time, the SAT had an essay question. In 2016, the essay question became optional. As of 2024, the essay is gone.
How to prepare for the SAT
The best path to success on the SAT is learning how to take the test. There are many options for SAT prep. For high school sophomores and juniors, there’s an official test called the PSAT, which can help students get a feel for the SAT and, if they score well, possibly earn students scholarship money. There are also many books, test prep courses, apps, and SAT tutors out there.
If your family wants to avoid expensive tutors or courses, there are two very good alternatives for free SAT prep. offers, numerous free tools to help students prepare, including video lessons; interactive, personalized practice questions; full-length practice tests; and a .
Another free SAT test prep option is the , provided by College Board (creator of the SAT). The Bluebook app, like Khan Academy, has full-length practice tests that closely resemble the SAT. Plus, it has multiple like annotation tools, line reader tools, flags to mark questions for review, an answer option elimination tool, and tips to help students choose the best test-taking strategies.
Denay Taylor, who teaches English and a course called College Pathways at Sachse High School in Garland, TX, says these self-guided resources work well for some students, but others may need more support. 鈥淪ome kids are very driven,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey have the motivation to work hard and do it on their own. Others, they need that face-to-face, they need someone holding them accountable.鈥�
For those students, extra support — from parents or a study group — can be critical. Some students will also benefit from test prep services or courses, such as Kaplan or The Princeton Review and the like. High schools and local libraries may offer free test prep courses and hold free practice tests so that students can experience a formal test setting.
Perhaps the second best path to success on the SAT is retaking the test. Sure, this follows on the best path, which is getting to know the test. But it’s worth taking seriously. Research shows that when kids retake the test, their scores tend to go up. Read more about why your child should retake the SAT or ACT.
Read more about helping your child prepare for the SAT or ACT: The high school parent鈥檚 year-by-year guide to the SAT and ACT.
Don鈥檛 discount the ACT
The SAT isn’t the only option. There’s another college admissions test: the . The two tests cover similar content and are accepted equally by all schools, but they are different in many ways. The ACT gives test takers less time per question, 53 seconds instead of the 61 seconds the SAT offers. The ACT has a science section; the SAT does not. With the ACT, the math section only accounts for 25 percent of a student鈥檚 cumulative score. With the SAT, math represents 50 percent of the total. The ACT math section has trigonometry and geometry questions; the SAT math section focuses on algebra. The ACT offers an optional writing test that a student can use to display their critical writing and communication skills to college admissions officers. Last but not least, while the SAT is now fully digital, the ACT has a digital option but is still mainly taken with paper and pencil.
How should students decide which test to take: SAT vs. ACT?
鈥淧arents should recommend their kids take a practice test for each and see how their scores on the two compare,鈥� says Michael Boothroyd, Kaplan Test Prep’s executive director for pre-college programs. Whichever test they score higher on is the one they should prepare for and take, he says. 鈥淭he good news is that colleges treat both tests the same in admissions decisions.鈥�
Read more about the SAT versus the ACT.
The role of SAT scores in college applications
A good SAT or ACT score can signal to colleges that a student has what it takes to succeed and can open doors to scholarships, especially at public universities. However, if your child has strong grades but just doesn鈥檛 test well, rest assured. Standardized test scores are just one element of a college鈥檚 holistic review. Admissions officers know that grades are a better indicator of success in college than test scores. Also, many colleges have completely abandoned the SAT or ACT requirement by either not accepting the test scores as part of the application at all or making it optional for students to provide their test scores. (.) Your student can still apply, and get accepted into, many excellent colleges, without taking the SAT (or ACT) or by earning mediocre SAT scores and choosing not to submit them or applying to schools that won鈥檛 look at them.
鈥淭he SAT is the last factor in applications,鈥� says Colin Riley, Boston University鈥檚 executive director of media relations. 鈥淭he most important is the transcript, next are counselor and teacher recommendations and the student essay.鈥�
So when it comes time to focus on college applications, keep in mind that test scores, while important, are just one part of a well-rounded application that lets admissions officers see your child鈥檚 full potential.
