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The Ultimate Digital SAT Study Guide: Tips, Plans, and Practice

Starting in Spring 2024, every student who takes the SAT will take a new, digital version of the exam. The digital SAT will be different from the paper version…which means your SAT prep routine will be a little different too!

With this big change coming up, how should you handle digital SAT prep? What’s the best way to study for the digital SAT? 

In this article, we’ll answer all of your questions about how to prep for the digital SAT, including: 

• When the SAT goes digital, and how you’ll take the digital SAT
• How to make a study plan for the digital SAT
• Sample digital SAT study plans
• List of practice resources for the digital SAT

Let’s get started!

When Does the SAT Go Digital? What Is the Digital SAT Like? 

The College Board is moving to a new, digital SAT format! Starting in Spring 2023, all international students will take the digital SAT, and starting in Spring 2024, all US students will move to the new format.

By Spring 2024, every student who takes the SAT will take the new, digital version of the exam. The paper version of the SAT will no longer be offered. 

Since the new SAT is digital, students will access and take the exam using a digital device that’s been approved by the College Board. The following digital devices are approved for taking the digital SAT: 

• Windows laptop or tablet
• Apple Mac laptop or iPad
• School-issued device, like a tablet or Chromebook

Students will download the College Board’s custom testing app, called Bluebook, to take the test. Through Bluebook, students will be able to download their SAT exam, take and submit the exam on test day, and access SAT prep and study materials (more on this later!). 

The digital SAT is different from the paper version in regards to length, structure, and how exam questions are assigned . Because of these differences, it’s important to prep with a study plan that’s tailored to the new, digital exam. We’ll cover how to make a digital SAT study plan below!

To make a good digital SAT study plan, you're gonna need some tools. (But probably not these.)

How to Make a Digital SAT Study Plan

With a little forethought and planning, putting together a solid digital SAT study plan is a piece of cake. To help you get started, follow our three step guide to creating the best digital SAT study routine for you!

Step 1: Set Your Goal Score

The first step in a solid digital SAT study plan is setting your goal score . Your goal score is the score that’s most likely to get you accepted to all the schools on your college application list. 

To figure out your goal score, start by finding out the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for each school you’re applying to . These scores represent the middle 50 percent of scores for students accepted to a given school. In other words, a school’s middle 50 percentile scores represent the average scores for recently admitted students. 

For instance, if you score in the 75th percentile, you’ve scored higher than 75 percent of applicants to a given school. If you score in the 25th percentile, you’ve scored higher than 25 percent of applicants. The higher your score percentile, the better your chances of getting accepted! 

So how do you find the middle 50 percent SAT scores for a school? First, do a Google search for “[School Name] PrepScholar.” Then, click the link to the school’s admissions requirements page, where you’ll find a table listing your school’s 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. 

For instance, if you go to the University of Texas’s PrepScholar admissions page, the table will look like this: 

As you Google the 25th and 75th percentile scores for each school you’re applying to, add those scores to a chart, like this pre-made chart . Simply fill in the name of all of your schools, then add up-to-date SAT score data as you find it online. 

Once you’ve completed your score chart, find the highest 75th percentile score on your sheet. This represents your goal score. Why? Because as the highest score in your chart, the highest 75th percentile score is the most likely to get you accepted to all the schools on your list! 

One thing to keep in mind is that most of the middle 50 percent SAT scores you’ll find online through 2024 will be for the old, paper SAT . At this point, we can’t know for sure how much average SAT scores will change when the exam goes digital. However, the College Board currently states that average scores should stay relatively the same. We’ll update this article with average scores when they become available for the digital SAT. 

For now, your best bet is to use the score data that schools have currently available and set your goal score based on that. 

Step 2: Download the Bluebook App

Once you’ve determined your goal score, it’s time to download the Bluebook app to your digital device. Remember: Bluebook is the College Board’s official testing platform. You won’t be able to take the digital SAT if you don’t have this app. 

But Bluebook also provides digital SAT study materials, including four official digital SAT practice exams ! This is all great information that can make studying for the digital SAT more effective. You’ll need these prep materials to move on to Step 3 (below). 

To download Bluebook to your device, follow this link on the College Board’s official website. 

Step 3: Take an Adaptive SAT to Get Your Baseline Score

Now that you can access practice digital SATs through Bluebook, it’s time to find out your baseline score. A baseline score is the score you’d earn if you took the digital SAT right now before you’ve started studying! 

Your baseline score also tells you how much you’ll need to prep for the SAT in order to achieve your goal score. To find your baseline score, take an official SAT practice exam through Bluebook . 

You might be wondering if you can take an old, paper SAT to find your baseline score. According to the College Board, it’s best to use new, digital practice SATs for all of your exam prep . Here’s why: the digital SAT tests your skills differently than the paper SAT by using adaptive testing . 

Adaptive testing changes the difficulty level of exam questions based on each question that a test taker gets right or wrong. As a result, no two digital SAT exams will be exactly the same. 

Since the digital SAT uses adaptive testing, you need to take a digital, adaptive SAT in order to get an accurate baseline score. 

To get an accurate baseline score, try to recreate real testing conditions to the best of your ability. If you can, take your practice test using the type of digital device you’ll use on exam day (e.g., iPad, Chromebook, etc.), follow the official time limits, and test in a quiet room. 

Once you’ve taken your practice digital SAT, Bluebook will generate your score report. This score report will break down your score on each section of the exam (Reading and Writing and Math) and add those section scores together to calculate your composite score. Your composite score on the practice exam is your baseline score .   

Step 4: Determine How Many Hours You Need to Prep

Now that you’ve got your goal and baseline scores, you can use that info to calculate approximately how many hours you need to study to raise your baseline score to your goal score. 

You can do this by subtracting your baseline score from your goal score. Then match the difference you get to the numbers below:  

Here’s an example of how this works in practice. 

Say your baseline score from the practice SAT is a 1300, and your goal score is a 1430. You’ll subtract 1300 from 1430, which equals a 130 point difference. This means you’ll most likely need to study around 80 hours total in order to increase your score by 130 points!

Remember: the bigger the point increase you want, the more hours you’ll need to study. 

Step 5: Assemble Your Study Materials

With your study schedule set, you can start pulling real prep materials into your study plan! 

For the digital SAT, it’s best to focus your prep strategy on digital SAT resources . That means prioritizing official practice digital SATs and other official digital study materials recommended by the College Board. 

It’s okay to incorporate some paper SAT prep materials into your study plan. However, prep materials for the old SAT are based on a different exam format, and they won’t provide the adaptive testing experience. 

While you can use these materials to drill specific SAT topics or skills, when it comes to setting a goal score and and prepping for the real exam, prep materials designed specifically for the digital SAT are your best resource . 

With our two digital SAT study plans, you can choose your own adventure...as long as you think "SAT study prep" is adventurous.

Digital SAT Prep: 2 Sample Study Plans

Now that you’re prepped to start studying, it’s time to find a digital SAT prep plan that works for you. Below, we give you two study plans to choose from : a one-month, high intensity study plan (40 hours) and a three-month, medium intensity study plan (80 hours). 

Each study plan explains what to study each week and suggests set time frames for each study activity . 

Remember: the best digital SAT study plan is the one that fits your needs . You can tweak the timing, study activities, and duration of each study plan as you see fit! The most important thing is fitting in the number of quality study hours that will increase your chances of meeting your goal score. 

Sample Digital SAT Study Guide #1

This one-month, high intensity study plan lasts for 40 total hours, broken out into 1 0 hours per week . By the end of this quick study plan, you’ll be on track to raise your baseline score by up to 130 points. 

To see the results you want from this study plan, you’ll have to be disciplined. Putting in a full week of studying is key to seeing score improvements when you’re prepping on a shorter timeline!

Now, here’s a week-by-week study routine for this one-month, high intensity study plan: 

Week 1: Study Structure

• Take a practice digital SAT exam through Bluebook to determine your baseline score. Be sure to take the test in a quiet room without distractions. Suggested Time: 3 hours

Analyze your Bluebook score report. To figure out what areas you struggle with the most, look closely for any patterns in your mistakes. Suggested Time: 1 hour

Get familiar with the digital SAT format. Go over exam content, structure, all question types, and how it’s scored. Suggested Time: 2 hours

Learn the Reading and Writing test format . Get a sense of what the Reading and Writing section tests and what kinds of passages it contains. Suggested Time: 1.5 hour

Learn the Math test format . Familiarize yourself with the content and topics, how to use the exam’s built-in graphing calculator on both math modules, and the differences between multiple-choice questions and grid-ins. Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Practice using built-in testing tools through Bluebook. Use Bluebook’s Testing Preview to get familiar with the app’s countdown clock, question flagging tool, and calculator. Suggested Time: 1 hour

Week 2: Concentrate on Key Content

Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules. You’ll need to know various grammar rules for the Reading and Writing section, so mastering these is critical for a strong Reading and Writing score. Suggested Time: 2 hours

Review and practice core math concepts . These include the following: - Integers - Fractions, ratios, and proportions - Algebra (linear functions, inequalities, equations, systems of equations) - Advanced math (nonlinear functions, polynomials) - Problem solving and data analysis (statistics, how to read graphs) Suggested Time: 5 hours

Memorize essential SAT Math formulas . Knowing these formulas will give you a boost on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hour

Select and practice a passage-reading strategy for Reading and Writing. To choose the right strategy for you, try out different strategies using official SAT Reading and Writing tests. The strategy that gets you the highest score is the one you should go with on test day! Suggested Time: 2 hours

Week 3: Strategize & Check Your Progress

Practice identifying the task, summarizing the text, and identifying relationships for SAT Reading and Writing. Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Learn key Math and Reading and Writing strategies . For Math, the best ones to know are how to plug in answers and how to plug in numbers. For Reading and Writing, learn how to test out answer choices and eliminate incorrect answer choices. Suggested Time: 4 hours

Take a digital practice test to check your progress. Once complete, analyze your score report to determine how much you’ve improved since your baseline exam. Use your results to identify your weaker areas. Suggested Time: 4.5 hours

Week 4: Review & Practice

Go over digital SAT topics , question types, and strategies that you need to practice more. Focus on hitting the topics, question types, and sections where you really need score improvement. But take a break from studying the day before the exam! Your brain needs some down time before you sit for the real digital SAT. Suggested Time: 10 hours

Don't love the first study plan? Here's one that might work better for you. 

Sample Digital SAT Study Guide #2

This three-month, medium intensity study plan lasts for 80 total hours , broken out into six and a half hours per week. By completing this moderate digital SAT prep routine, you’ll set yourself up for a maximum 200 point improvement on your baseline score. 

Since this study plan lasts for three full months, it’s a great choice if you plan to prep for the SAT during the summer and take the exam in the fall. At the end of the day, this study plan works best if you can study for a couple of hours, two to three days a week. 

Now, here’s a week-by-week study routine for this three-month, medium intensity study plan: 

Month 1: The Basics

During Month 1, you’ll focus on getting acquainted with the digital SAT’s structure and content. 

Week 1: Get Familiar with the Digital SAT

Start by taking a practice test to find your baseline score . Try to recreate authentic testing conditions and take the exam without distractions so you’ll get an accurate baseline score result. Suggested Time: 4 hours

Analyze your Bluebook score report and record your baseline score. To figure out what areas you struggle with the most, look closely for any patterns in your mistakes.  Suggested Time: 1 hour

Get familiar with the format of the digital SAT. To succeed on the new exam, you’ll need a strong grasp of the digital SAT format, concepts it tests, and the types of questions used to assess your skills and knowledge. Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Week 2: Work on Reading and Writing

Familiarize yourself with the Reading and Writing section format. Know how to navigate Module One and Module Two on the Reading and Writing section and how each module will be timed. Get acquainted with the types of passages and questions you’ll encounter. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Determine your best strategy for reading text passages . Take a couple of Reading and Writing practice exams to try multiple passage-reading strategies. When complete, choose the strategy that helped you earn the highest score. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Practice Reading and Writing questions using the passage-reading strategy you’ve selected. Aim to improve your score incrementally each time you use your reading strategy. Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Week 3: Work on Grammar & Punctuation

Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules. Go over standard English conventions and familiarize yourself with the kinds of errors you’ll see on the SAT. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Drill Reading and Writing questions that focus on grammar and punctuation. Identify your weaker areas (e.g., comma splices, misplaced modifiers, etc.). S uggeste d Time: 2.5 hours 

Practice fill-in-the-blank Boundaries questions. Test and improve your skill at linking phrases, clauses, and sentences. Suggested Time: 2 hours

Week 4: Switch to Math

Learn the digital Math test format. Understand the differences between multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses. Familiarize yourself with the calculator policy (calculator may be used on all math sections). Suggested Time: 2 hours

Review basic math concepts, including integers, fractions, ratios, and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hours

Go over major algebraic concepts , including linear functions, single-variable equations, and systems of linear equations. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Month 2: Strategies

In month two of this study plan, you’ll dig deeper into essential concepts you need to know and work on test-taking strategies that’ll help you answer questions efficiently on exam day. 

Week 5: Dig Into More Math

Work on additional SAT Math concepts in advanced math , problem solving, and data analysis. These topics include statistics, reading data, graphs, and plots, quadratic and nonlinear functions, exponential functions and equations, polynomials, coordinate geometry, plane and solid geometry, and trigonometry. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Spend time practicing with and memorizing the essential formulas you’ll use on SAT Math. Familiarize yourself with the provided digital SAT Math formula sheet to increase speed and accuracy on exam day. Suggested Time: 1 hour

Practice SAT Math questions and drill your weaker topics . Review your answers and mistakes, then continue working on your areas for improvement. Suggested Time: 3 hours

Week 6: Work on Strategy

Work on crucial SAT Math strategies such as plugging in answers, plugging in numbers, translating word problems, and substitution. Practice pacing yourself and strategic guessing for effective time management on the exam.  Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Practice SAT Reading and Writing strategies , study vocabulary words, and learn how to analyze different question types and rule out incorrect answers. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Test out your Math and Reading and Writing strategies on difficult, official practice questions . Check your results against your first, baseline practice test to track your progress.  Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Week 7: Check Your Progress

Take another official practice test through Bluebook and use your score to determine how much you’ve improved since your first practice exam. Suggested Time: 4 hours

Review your score report in Bluebook and use your results to identify the areas you’re still struggling with. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Week 8: Hit Your Weaker Areas

Spend time studying the Reading and Writing topics and concepts that stumped you the most on your recent practice test. Review answer explanations and drill yourself on tough concepts. Suggested Time: 2 hours

Review the Math topics and concepts that stumped you on the most recent practice test . Review tutorials on how to answer tough questions and drill yourself on difficult formulas and concepts. Suggested Time: 1.5 hours

Test yourself on your weaker areas using official practice questions for both digital SAT Reading and Writing and Math. Compare your accuracy rate on this practice to your most recent practice test results. Suggested Time: 3 hours

Month 3: Review & Practice

Almost done! In this last month, you’ll focus mainly on familiarizing yourself with the digital testing environment and preparing for exam day.

Week 9: Get Your Digital Device Ready

The digital device you’ll use to take the digital SAT must be ready to use on exam day . Spend this week making sure you have an approved digital device (you can request to borrow one from your school or the College Board this week as well) and ensuring your device’s software is up to date. Download any needed software updates. Download and/or update Bluebook if needed. Suggested Time: 6.5 hours

Week 10: Check Your Progress

Take your third and final practice test through Bluebook in order to get a final look at your weaker areas going into the exam. Pay close attention to pacing, navigating the digital exam, and ensuring you know how to use all of the digital tools available to you. Suggested Time: 4 hours

Review your Bluebook score report and analyze your results . Make a list of concepts and question types that need one final review. Suggested Time: 2.5 hours

Week 11: Practice Still-Difficult Concepts

Spend this week reviewing challenging concepts. Try to make progress in your struggle areas! Suggested Time: 6.5 hours

Week 12: Get Ready for the Exam

• Spend some time reviewing your weaker areas, but focus your energy on relaxing and making sure everything is in order for the exam . Double check your digital device and Bluebook app, download your exam entrance ticket, and make sure your digital device is fully charged. Spend the day before your exam resting instead of studying! Suggested Time: 6.5 hours (with 0 hours on test day and the day before the test)

Think of this as your own personal study library. 

Sample Resources for Digital SAT Prep

The best digital SAT study plan includes quality digital SAT prep resources! Below, we cover essential digital SAT study resources from PrepScholar and other vetted sources. As a bonus, they’re all free!

PrepScholar Digital SAT Study Resources

PrepScholar provides a variety of expert-approved resources to help you get ready for the digital SAT. These resources range from articles explaining how the digital SAT works and what to expect from the new exam, to live SAT prep courses taught by real teachers. 

Here are some of the best PrepScholar resources to help you get ready for the digital SAT : 

• This ultimate guide to the digital SAT format
• This article explaining where to find official digital SAT practice tests 
• This guide to when the SAT will go digital

As of July 2023, PrepScholar’s official digital SAT prep program is available to all PrepScholar SAT students! Here’s where you can learn more about the PrepScholar Digital SAT program .

Other Digital SAT Study Resources

To put together a comprehensive digital SAT study plan, check out the official digital SAT study resources from the College Board and Khan Academy too. 

Through the Bluebook app, the College Board offers: 

• Four free, official, full-length digital SAT exams
• A Testing Preview that you can use to take practice questions and take a virtual tour of the digital testing experience in Bluebook
• An online, step-by-step timeline to get ready for exam day 

Additionally, the College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to provide more free, official digital SAT prep. Through Khan Academy, you can access:  

• A digital SAT Reading and Writing practice course
• A digital SAT Math practice course
• A video overview of the new digital SAT
• A list of digital SAT FAQs

Keep in mind that, because the digital SAT is still so new, there will be many more digital SAT prep materials to come in the future ! For now, these official digital SAT prep resources will give you a solid foundation to get you ready for the exam.

Don't miss our ultimate guide to studying for the SAT. It'll give you the foundational resources and strategies you need to succeed.

And of course, don't forget to register for the test well in advance. Here's a complete walk-through for signing up for the SAT.

Maybe you've taken the SAT already, but you're not happy with your score. You can always retake the SAT! Here's everything you need to know about taking the SAT for the second (or third, or fourth) time.

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Enter your email to unlock an extra $25 off an sat or act program, by submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., what’s on the digital sat: your comprehensive guide.

Starting in March 2023, the College Board began to transition away from the pencil-and-paper version of the SAT that they introduced in 2016 with the launch of the Digital SAT outside the United States. By 2024, all administrations of the SAT will be of this computer-based version of the test. With this change, the College Board has made significant changes to the format of the SAT. However, there are also changes to the content of the SAT that you should be aware of as you prepare for the test.

The College Board claims that “the digital SAT will continue to measure the same skills and knowledge that students are learning in high school and that matter most for college and career readiness.” In other words, the stuff that the pencil-and-paper SAT tests should be the same as what you’ll see on the Digital SAT. At a deep level, this claim seems to be true – the sorts of cognitive skills tested on the Digital SAT are similar to those tested on the paper-and-pencil test. However, the difference in formatting of the two tests makes the test-taking experience very different, which means the best ways to approach the Digital SAT differ from the pencil-and-paper SAT.

Reading and Writing

The Digital SAT’s Reading and Writing modules have questions that can be broken into two major categories: Reading and Writing. Reading questions always come first in the Reading and Writing module and can be broken into seven different question types:

• Vocabulary: Filling a blank or defining a word based on context.
• Purpose: Determining why the author wrote a text or included a sentence or how the author structured the text.
• Dual Text: Understanding how someone from one text would agree or disagree with a person or idea from another text.
• Retrieval: Determine what the author said about a person, place, or idea.
• Main Idea: Determine the central topic of the text.
• Claims and Charts: Choose an answer or information from a chart that would illustrate, strengthen, or weaken a claim.
• Conclusions: Choose the most logical concluding phrase or sentence to a text.

The questions will always appear in the above order, but not every question type will appear on every test. Within a given question type, if there is more than one question, the questions will appear in order of difficulty. Vocabulary questions test your knowledge of advanced vocabulary (so break out those flashcards!). The remaining question types require you to read closely and identify the key parts of the text that are needed to answer the question.

Writing questions come in three types:

• Rules: Making a sentence conform to the rules of Standard English.
• Transitions: Choosing a logical transition to connect two sentences.
• Rhetorical Synthesis: Choosing a sentence that accomplishes a rhetorical goal, such as showing similarities between two ideas.

As with Reading, the Writing questions will always appear in this order, with questions of the same type organized in order of difficulty. Rules questions require you to know and apply grammar and punctuation rules. Transitions questions ask you to determine the relationship between ideas (e.g. contrasting, providing examples, or making a conclusion) and then choose an appropriate transition. Rhetorical Synthesis questions provide a list of bullet points and ask for a sentence that accomplishes a goal.

Free Digital SAT Practice Tests & Events

Evaluate and improve your SAT score

All questions within the Math modules are organized in order of difficulty, with the hardest questions towards the end of the module. About 75% of the questions are multiple-choice, with the remaining 25% student-produced response (i.e. free response numerical answers). Questions in Math are not organized by content area, so the order of topics will vary from test-to-test.

There are four “content domains” in Math on the Digital SAT:

• Algebra (~35%): Working with linear equations (i.e. equations without exponents).
• Advanced Math (~35%): Working with non-linear equations (i.e. equations with exponents, rational equations, and absolute value)
• Problem-Solving and Data Analysis (~15%): Working with basic statistics concepts, such as rates, percentages, and probability.
• Geometry and Trigonometry (~15%): Working with shapes, including trigonometric functions.

You may have noticed that about 70% of the Math on the Digital SAT is algebra in one form or another. Strength in this topic, as well as key strategies and use of the built-in calculator, is key to success in Math. Much of Problem-Solving and Data Analysis covers topics that you may have learned in middle school, so you should expect to spend time brushing up on these topics. Similarly, it may have been a while since you’ve done geometry, so prepare to do some review for the Digital SAT.

In addition to the topic areas, many questions in Math will be presented as word problems. Having a methodical approach to these questions is key to success. Furthermore, many questions contain graphics, such as xy -planes or tables. Finally, the Bluebook application does not allow you to highlight in Math, so you need to master the use of scratch paper for all your work.

Knowing the content tested on the Digital SAT is essential. Just as important is knowing the strategies that will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and perform to your potential . The Princeton Review offers books, courses, and private tutoring. All of TPR’s offerings cover both the content knowledge and strategies you need to score more and earn admission to your dream school.

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• SAT Exam Info
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The New Digital SAT – What You Need to Know to Prepare

College Board has announced that it will transition to a digital format of the SAT in the upcoming years for both international and U.S. students. The new digital SAT brings student-friendly changes to the exam, making it less daunting and more approachable. So, what does this mean for you? What is changing on the Digital SAT? What is staying the same? Read on for answers! 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

When will the SAT go completely digital?

Do the digital sat changes affect you, optimal sat testing schedule: when to take the sat.

• Should You Take the Digital or Paper SAT? Quiz
• The Differences: What is changing as the SAT goes digital?
• What is staying the same as the SAT goes digital?
• How to Prep and Practice for the Digital SAT

Why is the SAT going digital?

• Digital SAT FAQs

The SAT will go completely digital in 2024 in the United States and in 2023 in other countries. The PSAT will go digital as of Fall 2023. Use the table below to see when exactly all of the SAT changes will go into effect so you know what to expect.

College Board’s changes to the SAT as they transition from the paper-and-pencil test to the new, digital version do not affect all current high school students. Read about which version of the test you will take below based on when you are graduating.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2023

All students graduating from high school in 2023—whether testing within the United States or internationally—will take the current paper-and-pencil version of the SAT. The first administrations of the Digital SAT in spring 2023 (international) and spring 2024 (U.S.) are not applicable to those graduating this year.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2024

If you are graduating from high school in 2024, you may take the paper-and-pencil SAT or the Digital SAT depending on your test location. Those graduating in 2024 that are testing in the U.S. will take the current paper-and-pencil version. But those graduating in 2024 that are testing internationally have had the option between the two versions. If you are testing internationally and are waiting to take the SAT until spring 2023, you opted to take the Digital SAT instead of the final international administration of the paper-and-pencil SAT in 2022.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2025

Flexibility will also be allotted to the class of 2025 testing in the U.S. throughout their junior year, as they can take the paper-and-pencil SAT in 2023 and/or the Digital SAT in spring 2024.* All international test-takers in the class of 2025 will be taking the Digital SAT, which is first administered in other countries in the spring of 2023 (their sophomore year).

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2026

Technically, a U.S. high school student graduating in 2026 could take the paper-and-pencil SAT in the spring of their sophomore year. However, it would typically be advantageous to take the Digital SAT during their junior year after completing more relevant coursework and studies.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES OF 2027 AND BEYOND

If you are graduating from high school in or after 2027, you will have no option but to take the Digital SAT.

* Colleges may or may not allow students to SuperScore their two scores

The high school class of 2023 already took the paper-and-pencil SAT, and the class of 2027 will be the first with no option but to take the Digital SAT. That means prospective high school graduates of 2024, 2025, and 2026 must determine their optimal testing schedules based on the information above.

What is changing on the Digital SAT?

While the format of the SAT will be changing, much about the test remains the same. The few changes that have been made were well-received by students who have taken the digital SAT. Testimonials from these students mention less stress, appreciation for the features of the online test, and a faster test day experience. Below we list six key changes to the SAT.

How you take the SAT

Unlike the previous paper-and-pencil version of the exam, the digital SAT will be taken exclusively via a tablet or laptop. If you do not have a personal or school-issued device, one will be provided on test day (requests to borrow a College Board device must be made before test day).

Shortened Digital SAT testing experience

A shorter test experience is another significant change for the new exam. The digital SAT will only take two hours instead of three due to shorter sections and a new section-adaptive test format.

Calculators allowed on the math section of the Digital SAT

The digital SAT will allow you to use a calculator throughout the entire math section. You can choose to bring your own approved calculator or use the onscreen graphing calculator that will be built into the testing app.

Shorter reading passages on the Digital SAT

The digital SAT will feature shorter reading passages which will be easier and faster to read and analyze. There will just be one question tied to each reading passage.

New Adaptive Sections on the Digital SAT

Both the Verbal and Math sections of the Digital SAT will contain two modules. The difficulty of the second module—or question set—depends on your performance on the first module.

With a weaker performance on the first module, you will encounter easier questions in the second module. This ‘easier’ second module consists of mostly easy and medium-difficulty questions, plus a few hard questions and a couple of unscored questions aimed at test development. With a stronger performance on the first module, you will encounter harder questions in the second module. This ‘harder’ module consists of mostly medium-difficulty and hard questions, plus a few easier questions and a couple of unscored ones.

Faster SAT score delivery

Instead of waiting weeks to receive your score report, you’ll receive your digital SAT score report in just a few days. This means less time waiting anxiously for results and more time to review problem areas and take the test again if you’re aiming for a higher score.

TABLE: Differences Between Digital & Paper-and-Pencil SAT

What is staying the same on the digital sat.

There are many changes on the horizon for the digital SAT, but several key features remain the same.

What is tested on the digital SAT

First and foremost, the digital SAT will continue to test the same important content and skills that you’ve been learning in school to measure career and college readiness.

Digital SAT Readiness Quiz

Get ahead of the most challenging parts of the new Digital SAT by taking this readiness quiz.

Where you can take the digital SAT

You will be able to take the digital SAT at a school or test center; the test will have a proctor present. There is no option to take the digital SAT at home.

Digital SAT scoring scale

The digital SAT will continue to use the same 1600 scale that the paper-and-pencil SAT currently uses. This is important because you will be able to track your progress over time. There is a direct correspondence of scores between the digital SAT and the paper-and-pencil version. This means that a score of 1120 on the digital SAT signifies the same thing as a score of 1120 on the paper version.

Accommodations on the Digital SAT

College Board will continue to support students who receive accommodations on the SAT.

How to prep and practice for the digital SAT

College Board will release official practice materials, including full-length digital practice tests, in the fall of 2022. While you wait for the digital practice test items, there are some things you can do to get ready. The digital SAT will continue to test math concepts related to arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, so keep those skills sharp and work on memorizing common formulas. When prepping for the verbal section, remember: that the more you read, the better you read. Improve your reading comprehension skills by consuming different types of publications whenever possible, ideally for at least 15 minutes per day. This is also a great time to brush up on your grammar skills like punctuation and usage rules. 

As you wait for the digital practice test items to be released, develop a study plan and work to set a realistic score goal based on your target schools. Keep in mind that the digital SAT will not be administered in the U.S. until spring of 2024, so you do have time to prepare to take the paper-and-pencil version of the SAT before it is no longer offered. 

We will update our prep materials, including books, tutoring, self-paced, and live online courses to prepare for the new digital SAT and PSAT. We’ll be releasing these throughout the months leading up to the test launch, so keep an eye out for our new Kaplan digital SAT prep resources.

There are several reasons that the SAT is moving to an adaptive digital format. The digital SAT will be more secure, as you (and every other student) will have a unique test. The adaptive nature of the digital SAT will also allow you to have an accurate score in less time. Another added benefit is that you will have more time to answer each question. Overall, the digital SAT will provide security and flexibility to schools and families around the world.

More frequently asked questions about the digital SAT

Below are some of the most common questions we have received about the switch from the paper-and-pencil SAT to Digital SAT.

What technical support will be provided during the digital SAT?

Each test center will have a technology coordinator present during testing to support any student having device issues. 

How long is the Digital SAT?

The length of the Digital SAT being shortened from 3 hours to 2 hours is one of the most significant differences between the new and old tests.

Will the math section still provide formulas?

The digital SAT will have a reference sheet with common formulas provided on the math test. 

Will I be able to use scratch paper?

Yes, scratch paper will be provided to you on test day. 

Is the digital SAT easier?

Yes, the digital SAT is easier than the paper-and-pencil version according to students who have taken the exam and experts at College Board. “The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” says the vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board, Priscilla Rodriguez. 

What changes are being made to the score report?

While the score report will still contain all of the information you expect to see about performance and growth, there will be some practical additions. Upon taking the digital SAT, your score report will connect you to information about workforce training programs and two-year colleges. Your interests, accomplishments, and goals will drive these connections.

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Tools & Calculators

Digital sat® score calculator.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: July 19, 2024

Are you preparing for the Digital SAT® (DSAT®) exam and curious about your potential score? You’ve come to the right place! With this interactive SAT® score calculator, you can predict how your raw score translates to your SAT® score to answer the common question, “Is my SAT® score good enough?”

Educators : Albert offers free trials to all qualified schools and districts!

SAT® Score Calculator

Enter your scores.

Reading and Writing Module 1

Reading and Writing Module 2

Math Module 1

Math Module 2

SAT® Reading Section

SAT® Writing Section

SAT® Math Section

Choose your score curve

Digital SAT® Legacy Pen-and-Paper

Looking for SAT® study materials for the new digital format?

What is the digital sat® when is the sat® going digital.

The Digital SAT® (or DSAT®) represents a significant evolution in how the College Board administers and scores the SAT®. Starting in Spring 2024, this new format leverages the benefits of digital testing and adaptivity to assess a student’s capabilities better. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming test format:

Reading and Writing Modules:

• Module 1: You will answer 27 questions; your raw score will be the number of correct answers.
• Adaptive Component: Your performance in Module 1 influences the difficulty of the questions in Reading and Writing Module 2, which also contains 27 questions. Your raw score here again depends on the number of correct answers.
• Scoring: The raw scores from both modules are combined and converted to your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section Score, ranging from 200 to 800.

Math Modules:

• Module 1: This section includes 22 questions, with your raw score reflecting the number of correct answers.
• Adaptive Component: As with reading and writing, your performance in Math Module 1 determines the question set in Math Module 2, which also has 22 questions. Your raw score is based on correct answers.
• Scoring: The raw scores from both Math modules are combined and converted into your Math Section Score, ranging from 200 to 800.

Revised SAT® Score Calculation:

With the introduction of the DSAT®, the calculation of scores are now:

• Reading and Writing: The raw scores from both Reading and Writing modules are added and converted to the section score.
• Math: Similarly, the raw scores from both Math modules are totaled and then converted to the section score.

The total SAT® score, combining the Reading, Writing, and Math sections, will still range from 400 to 1600.

What’s the difference between SAT® raw scores and SAT® scale scores? How do they calculate each ?

Raw Scores: These are simply the number of questions you answer correctly across the modules. There is no penalty for guessing, so your raw score is the total count of correct responses.

Scale Scores: The raw scores are then converted to scale scores for each section. These are between 200-800 for the two sections, to give you a total SAT® score between 400-1600. 

Understanding Raw Scores and Scale Scores in the Digital SAT®

For the DSAT®, this conversion will consider the adaptive nature of the test, ensuring that scores are comparable across different test forms and difficulty levels.

The new Digital SAT® is adaptive. This means that the difficulty of the questions in the second module will be based on your performance in the first module. This ensures a more personalized test experience and allows for a precise measurement of your skills and knowledge.

As we prepare for the launch of the Digital SAT®, we’ve updated our SAT® score calculator to reflect these changes. This tool is invaluable for assessing students’ readiness and predicting their potential performance.

What is a good SAT® score? Decent score? Bad score?

A good SAT® score really depends on the student and their aspirations. For example, if you’re applying to Harvard and have a 1200 SAT® score, you’ll unlikely get in since Harvard’s average score is typically over 1500. However, i f you’re applying to Michigan State University with that same score, that would be competitive for your college application. 

Generally, anything that falls into the top 30% of graduating high school students should be considered a good SAT® score. When you review the 2019 SAT® score trends , you see the nationally representative sample average SAT® score is 1120. The 70th percentile SAT® test taker is 1170. 

The former number compares how students did on the SAT® to an overall sample of all students grades 11-12, regardless of whether or not they took the SAT®. The latter number applies the actual scores of students in the past three graduating classes to the latest SAT®. 

A decent SAT® score would probably be something around the 50th percentile. Using the nationally representative sample, you’d find this to be a 1010. Looking at just SAT® test takers, the 50th percentile SAT® score is between 1050 and 1060. 

A bad SAT® score is quite subjective. But, i f you were looking at it from a percentiles standpoint, it could be any score below the 25th percentile. Looking at the nationally representative sample, this is between 870 and 880. For just SAT® test takers, it’d be a 910. 

Is 1600 a good SAT® score?

Yes! 1600 is not just a good SAT® score; it’s a perfect SAT® score. Like the ACT®, depending on the particular test, there is sometimes leeway on getting a perfect SAT® score. In other words, there are edge cases where you may be able to get one Reading question wrong and still get an 800 for your section score. 

How hard is it to get a 1400 on the SAT®?

It can be pretty tough to score a 1400 on the SAT®. Scoring a 1400 means you’re in the 97th percentile for the nationally representative sample and the 94th percentile among SAT® takers.

Furthermore, if you were to assume you wanted to score a 700 in both sections and you play around with the score calculator above, you’d see that to score a 700 in math, you can only miss around s eve questions on average. 

Then, to score a 700 in Reading and Writing, you’d only be able to miss around seven questions in SAT® Reading and Writing.

Is 1200 a good SAT® score?

A 1200 is a good SAT® score. Reviewing the 2019 SAT® score trends, you’ll see that 1200 equates to the 81st percentile for the nationally representative sample and the 74th percentile for SAT® test takers. This means scoring 1200 on the SAT® puts you in the top quartile of high school students taking the test. 

What is the average SAT® score?

The average SAT® score is typically between 1010 and 1060. This is pulled from the SAT® score trend data in which the 50th percentile for the nationally representative sample was a 1010, and among SAT® test takers, the 50th percentile fell between a 1050 and 1060.

Why is the SAT® exam curved?

The SAT® exam itself is not curved relative to test takers. However , the College Board puts each test through an “equating” process. This process ensures no student receives an advantage or disadvantage from taking a particular for on the SAT® on a particular day. 

In other words, it ensures a test score of 500 equals a test score 500 on an SAT® from another day. 

How do I read my SAT® Score Report?

The College Board provides a helpful short video on how to understand your SAT® score report here .

The first step is navigating to studentscores.collegeboard.org . 

Upon logging in, you’ll see your total SAT® score, which combines your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section and Math Section score. 

In your SAT® Score Report, you’ll also find specifics on your test scores (number correct and incorrect in each section), cross-test scores (how you analyze texts and solve problems that are interdisciplinary with Science and History) and subscores (how you performed on specific key concepts). 

The report color-codes each section so you know exactly where you need to improve. 

You can review the College Board’s PDF resource on reading SAT® Score Reports here .

Why should I use this SAT® score calculator?

We’ve crafted Albert’s SAT® score calculator to align with the latest official practice test curves provided by the College Board. This ensures our calculations are as accurate and current as possible. With the new Digital SAT® format launching in 2024, we’ve updated our calculator to reflect these changes and provide you with reliable score estimates.

We developed this DSAT® score calculator to go beyond the static tables typically used by others. Our interactive tool, complete with sliders, offers a more dynamic and engaging way to visualize your scoring potential. It’s not just about crunching numbers; it’s about providing a motivational and insightful experience to help you identify where you can make the most impactful improvements in your SAT® preparation. With our calculator, you can experiment with different scenarios and see how changes in each section could elevate your overall score to meet your SAT® aspirations.

How do you figure out your SAT® superscore?

To figure out your SAT® superscore, you’ll need to first compile all of the test days you took the DSAT®. Next, look for your highest scores for SAT® Reading and SAT® Math.

So for example, if you earn a 700 on one SAT® Math test, and a 750 on another, you’d choose the 750.

Finally, total your highest scores — this is your DSAT® superscore.  

Looking for extra SAT® practice?

Albert provides hundreds of Digital SAT® practice questions with detailed explanations and full-length practice tests . Get started today!

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