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The digital SAT debuted in the US in Spring 2024, bringing with it some significant changes. As a result, students are wondering: “Is the digital SAT easier than the paper SAT?” This is a reasonable concern because there are many unknowns about the new version of the exam. These include the format, the number and types of questions, calculator use, and section adaptivity. We’ll compare the 2 versions of the SAT in regard to these issues and others. We will find that answering the question as to which version is “easier” does not have a straightforward answer. In addition, we’ll look at some of the new features of the digital SAT that might make your test-day performance less stressful.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Comparing the 2 SAT Versions
- The Digital SAT Is Section-Adaptive. What’s That?
- Section Adaptivity: How It Works
- The Topics Tested on the SAT
- Test-Day Tools
- Summary: So Which Is Easier, the Paper SAT or the Digital SAT?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What’s Next?
Let’s get started with some key facts about the test.
Comparing the 2 SAT Versions
Let’s first compare and contrast the 2 versions of the SAT.
Test Time
The digital SAT is shorter than its predecessor: 2 hours and 14 minutes, versus 3 hours and 15 minutes. This is good news for everyone. Since no one enjoys taking a long test, the digital SAT is a winner in terms of test time.
The Digital Platform
You will still take the SAT at school or a test center. You may bring your own computer to school on test day, or your school will provide one to you. If necessary, you may borrow a computer from the College Board. In any case, you will take the SAT via the Bluebook app, which must be downloaded to each computer used for testing. Additionally, when you are taking the SAT, you will find that all other features of the computer you’re using are unavailable for the duration of the exam.
Depending on your personal preference and experience, you may find the digital platform more comfortable. The paper version was bulky and displayed several questions on one page at once. However, the digital SAT shows only one question at a time, so you can concentrate on just that question. On the paper test, test-takers had to carefully enter the answers onto a separate answer sheet. However, on the digital SAT, you simply click on your chosen answer.
KEY FACT:
The digital platform is more streamlined than the SAT’s test booklet and answer sheet.
Now, let’s look at the key components of the SAT in more detail.
Comparison of the 2 Versions of the SAT
The digital SAT contains 2 sections, Math and Reading/Writing. Let’s compare each of these sections to the paper SAT’s corresponding sections.
The Math Sections — Comparing Digital and Paper
- The Digital Math Section – There are 2 math modules, each containing 22 questions, and you have 35 minutes to answer them. About 3/4 of the questions are multiple-choice questions with 4 answer choices. The remaining 1/4 of the questions are called student-produced response (SPR) questions. These are fill-in-the-blank. Additionally, you may use an approved calculator for any question on either math module, and you have the option of using the online SAT Desmos graphing calculator.
- The Paper Math Section – There were 2 math sections. Section 3 was the no-calculator section. It presented test takers with 20 questions in 25 minutes. Section 4 allowed a calculator, and you had 55 minutes to answer 38 questions. Roughly 1/4 of the math questions were grid-in (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
There are 14 fewer math questions on the digital SAT. Also, most students are happy to see that a calculator can now be used for any SAT Math question.
Math questions on the digital SAT are less wordy than questions on the paper version. Thus, students can showcase their math skills regardless of their English language ability.
KEY FACT:
The Math section of the digital SAT gives you 70 minutes to answer 44 questions. The Math section of the old SAT gave you 80 minutes to answer 58 questions.
The Reading and Writing Sections — Comparing New and Old
- The Digital Reading and Writing Section – There are 2 modules in this section, each containing 27 questions, with 32 minutes to answer them. Notably, Reading Comprehension passages are shorter than on the old SAT, and each passage asks just one question. The combined Reading and Writing section will also ask you questions on style, grammar, punctuation, and usage.
- The Paper Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Sections – These were 2 separate sections: Critical Reading and Writing/Language.
- Critical Reading consisted of 4 long passages and a set of paired passages, presenting students with 52 questions, with 65 minutes to answer them.
- Writing and Language had 44 questions, with 35 minutes allotted for answering them. Tested topics were writing style and correcting errors (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, usage) in several passages.
Most students find that the shorter reading passages of the digital exam are easier to grasp, especially given the pressure of the testing environment. However, the sheer number of passages may interfere with your train of thought, making it feel as if you are haphazardly jumping from one topic to the next.
Additionally, some of the digital SAT Writing and Language questions present you with an entire passage, only to ask whether a comma, colon, or semicolon would be correct at some location within the passage. All told, you will have to read 54 passages, albeit short ones, in the two modules of the Reading and Writing section of the digital SAT.
KEY FACT:
The verbal section of the digital SAT gives you 64 minutes to answer 54 questions, whereas the paper version gave you 100 minutes to answer 96 questions.
Another key difference is that the digital SAT is section-adaptive. Let’s discuss.
The Digital SAT Is Section-Adaptive. What’s That?
For the paper SAT, everyone took the same exam. The College Board had to include a lot of easy, medium, and hard questions to obtain meaningful, reliable scores for each test-taker. This is the main reason that the paper SAT was so long. But with the advent of digital testing, the test could be customized for each test taker, resulting in a shorter test that still yielded extremely reliable results.
This ability for each student to take a different version of the SAT is called section-adaptivity. In essence, this means that the difficulty level of the second module of each section is the result of your performance in the first module. To illustrate how section-adaptivity works, let’s use the Math section as an example.
Section Adaptivity: How It Works
In the first Math module, you’ll encounter a mixture of easy, medium, and hard questions. If you score well (getting about 13 or more of the 22 questions correct), the second Math module will give you fewer easy questions and many medium and difficult (and score-enhancing) questions.
However, if you get fewer than 13 of the module 1 questions correct, then the second Math module will present you with many easy and medium questions and only a few difficult questions. In this case, you won’t have the opportunity to answer more difficult score-enhancing questions, and your Math total score will reflect this.
The Reading and Writing section works identically. If you perform well in the first module, the difficulty of the passages in the second module will increase, as will the point value for correct answers.
KEY FACT:
Because the SAT is section-adaptive, if you do well in the first module of each section, you will be presented with score-enhancing and more difficult questions in the second module.
Next, let’s discuss the topics that you can expect to see on the SAT.
The Topics Tested on the SAT
Math
The concepts tested on the digital SAT math section are nearly identical to those tested on the paper SAT. The math topics tested are similar to those you’ve studied in your sophomore and junior years of high school. However, how the questions are asked may be a bit different from your high school math tests. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take practice exams to get a better understanding of how SAT math questions are asked.
The College Board has identified 4 main Math topic areas that are tested. Additionally, we have added subtopics to those 4 main topics:
- Algebra – linear equations and inequalities, linear functions, systems of linear equations.
- Advanced Math – functions, quadratic and higher-order functions, factoring and FOILing, exponents, radical and absolute value equations, exponential functions, exponential growth, systems of equations (quadratic)
- Problem-Solving and Data Analysis – percentages, ratios, rates, proportions, unit conversion, charts and graphs, mean, median, mode, probability, scatterplots, statistical inference.
- Geometry/Trigonometry – lines, angles, triangles, circles, area, volume, Pythagorean theorem, right triangles, trigonometry
Note that the digital SAT no longer tests the topic of imaginary numbers.
KEY FACT:
The College Board digital SAT math categories are Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry/Trigonometry.
Verbal
We’ve already learned that the digital SAT’s Reading passages are shorter, with only one question per passage. The Reading topics of the Reading and Writing section include:
- Craft and Structure – general or specific purpose of a passage, structure of a passage, words in context, and paired passage questions
- Information and Ideas – main idea, detail, inference, textual or quantitative evidence
The Writing part of the Reading and Writing section presents passages and asks questions dealing with the following:
- Standard English Convention – subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, plural and possessive nouns, verb forms, modifier placement, punctuation, sentence structure
- Expression of Ideas – transitions, rhetorical synthesis
KEY FACT:
The Reading and Writing section tests you on analyzing passages and identifying proper grammar and usage.
We see that the Reading/Writing/Language topics tested on both versions of the SAT are similar.
Let’s now look at some of the tools available on the SAT.
Test-Day Tools
Both the paper SAT and the digital SAT offer useful tools for your use during the exam. Let’s do an item-by-item comparison of each.
Scratch Paper
Both exams allow scratch paper, supplied to you by the test proctor.
The Countdown Clock
Instead of relying on a wall clock or proctor announcements of time remaining, you will have access to a countdown clock on the digital version. You’ll see the countdown clock at the top middle of your screen. It can be a valuable tool to help keep you on track, but if it distracts you too much, you can click on the “hide” button to hide the display.
KEY FACT:
The countdown clock is a visual reminder of the time remaining on the digital SAT.
The “Mark for Review” Feature
As you progress through each SAT module, you’ll see only one question at a time. Because of this, you might think that you can’t go back to review an earlier question, but you can. On the paper-and-pencil test, you could just flip back a couple of pages to see an earlier question, but the digital SAT gives you the “mark for review” option to have the same effect. So, if you have a question you aren’t sure of, just click on the Mark for Review box, located next to the question number, and you will be able to revisit the question later.
KEY FACT:
The digital SAT’s “mark for review” feature allows you to flag a question so that you can easily revisit it later.
The Strikethrough Option
On the paper test, you could easily eliminate answer choices by marking through them on the test booklet. On the digital SAT, you can electronically strike through any answer choice you want to eliminate. You’ll find the strikethrough button to the right of the “mark for review” box at the top of each question.
KEY FACT:
You can electronically cross out answer choices as you eliminate them by using the strikethrough option.
The “Highlights and Notes” Option
In the digital SAT’s Reading and Writing section, you may highlight text, and you may type notes about the highlighted material. You can find the “Highlight and Note” button at the top right margin of any Reading and Writing question.
KEY FACT:
Use the “highlights and notes” option to highlight text and record notes about the material.
The Math Reference Sheet
The math reference sheet is identical on the paper and digital SATs. Recall that the math reference sheet provides you with primarily geometric information, including area and volume formulas and special right triangles. Additionally, the SAT website provides more information about the SAT reference sheet. You may bring up the math reference sheet by clicking on the icon that looks like x^2 at the top right of your Bluebook screen.
KEY FACT:
The math reference sheet is identical for both versions of the SAT.
Summary: So Which Is Easier, the Paper SAT or the Digital SAT?
Let’s summarize the key features of the 2 exam versions, to help you answer the question: “Is the digital SAT easier or harder?”
- The digital SAT is shorter than the paper SAT.
- The digital SAT platform is more streamlined than the paper SAT’s test booklet and answer sheet.
- There are 14 fewer math questions on the digital SAT than on the paper version.
- The digital SAT allows calculator use for any math question.
- The digital SAT Reading and Writing section presents you with a total of 54 short passages, with one question per passage.
- The paper-based SAT Reading section contained four long passages and one set of paired passages, each with about 11 questions.
The paper-based Writing and Language section presented four passages, with style and usage questions interspersed.
- The section-adaptive structure of the digital SAT rewards high scorers in module 1 with more difficult score-enhancing questions in module 2.
- Math topics tested are similar on the two versions.
- Reading/Writing/Language topics tested on both tests are similar.
- Test-Day Tools
- Flip pages to review a previous question versus the digital “mark for review” option
- To eliminate an answer choice: pencil scratch-through versus digital strikethrough
- Marking text: use your pencil to circle important info versus the “highlight and notes” digital option
- Math Reference Sheet: available for both versions
So, now it is your job to sift through all of this information to decide which is easier.
However, the bottom line is this: you may not choose which version to take. The digital SAT is the only game in town. So, it is best to learn as much as you can about the new SAT version, take some practice tests, and use this knowledge to put your best foot forward on test day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the main differences in difficulty between the digital SAT and the paper-based SAT?
The math topics are nearly identical in the 2 versions. (The digital SAT does not test imaginary numbers.) The digital SAT math questions are less wordy than the paper-based version, but the difficulty levels are similar.
There are 54 short passages in the Reading and Writing section, and each passage has only one question. In contrast, the Critical Reading section of the paper SAT contained only 4 long passages and one set of paired passages, with about 11 questions for each passage. Many students prefer many short passages to a few long passages.
How does the adaptive nature of the digital SAT affect its difficulty?
If you do well on the first module of a section, you will encounter more difficult questions on the second module. However, those more difficult questions reward correct answers with “bonus” points.
Are there any specific sections or question types on the digital SAT that are considered easier or harder?
In the Math section, you will encounter student-produced response (SPR) questions, also referred to as “fill-in-the-blank” questions. Compared to a multiple-choice question, they do not offer you much of a chance to randomly guess a correct answer.
What’s Next?
Studying for the SAT can take a lot of time and energy! Read this article, which gives you some fail-proof ways to stay motivated during your SAT preparation.
Also, read this illuminating article about improving your SAT Math score.
Finally, read this article about the digital SAT Reading and Writing Section to answer many of your questions about improving digital SAT reading.
Happy Studying!
