Taking the SAT is oftentimes the final point in testing for many students. We hear it from upperclassmen, our siblings, and our parents—it’s endless. The question “what did you get on the SAT?” has been a topic of discussion that spirals into hour-long conversations of “the curve this year was better than last year’s” and “I barely studied so I’m fine with this score.” The format for every student has always been the same: come in early in the morning, sit down for two or three hours, and scribble down your answers before time runs out. 

However, this prestigious assessment, which has been completed on paper since its introduction, will experience a major change unmatched by even the 2016 return from a 2400 score scale to a 1600 scale. This year, the College Board announced that the SAT would be administered virtually from spring of 2024 onward. The class of 2025 may be taking a shortened and digitized version of the SAT.

Since I am the youngest in the family with siblings who have already graduated college or are entering college next year, the SAT is no unfamiliar topic to me. Between the loud volume of my brother’s virtual SAT classes and his constant bickering with my sister about the 2400 and 1600 scale, I have always felt left out. Now that I will have the chance to take this digital SAT, conversations with my siblings will consist of three different generations of three different tests. The many changes the SAT has undergone make me wonder how the same experience will be ensured for all test-takers, especially because all available resources pair with the traditional paper exam. The piles of trusty, hand-me-down preparatory books sitting on my shelves may no longer be considered worth studying.

Freshmen this year have already had to adapt to many new environments. Not only is it their first year in high school, but it is also their first in-person school year since March of 2020. Many freshmen don’t consider the SAT a priority right now, but for those under pressure from their parents and upperclassmen, this decision will change their future studying entirely. Traditional SAT classes, books, and study groups may no longer apply to them. Fortunately, many current freshmen will get the chance to take the SAT before it is given online. However, for those dissatisfied with their previous scores, how will students be able to prepare for the next SAT that will be in an entirely different format? 

To take a multiple-hour test digitally means staring at a computer screen until your eyes are straining to make out the letters. Your laptop heats up, a low battery message may pop up, and your hand begins to feel heavy as you select your answer for the 50th question, with many more to go. There are too many distracting factors that arise through a digital SAT, not to mention the pressure to improve your score. All the supplementary classes, hours of studying, and preparation can all go to waste simply because the format is different.

The SAT has often been criticized for rewarding affluent students who can afford extra resources, such as tutoring and preparatory books, which essentially punishes those who cannot access these materials. Recently, colleges have been dropping the SAT as an application requirement (test-optional) to lessen the disparity between the two groups of students and make admissions more fair. The decision to switch to a digital version of the SAT was an attempt to combat the heavy critique and to convince people to continue taking the test. However, it seems that this gap will only grow wider, as purchasing new books and devices is expensive. The incentive to take the SAT is dimming, and many may start to stray away from it, considering it to no longer be worth the stress.

Although for a large number of students the SAT will still be an important date on their calendar, I know I will see a lot of my classmates begin to stress less about it. It makes me think that the SAT looming over me may no longer be as big of a threat as I thought it was. However, I’m worried about how I would go about studying for a retake in the spring of 2024. Being one of the first to have the opportunity to take a digital version, I have no idea where I’ll be able to find resources that aren’t outdated. I’m glad that there will be less anxiety surrounding the exam, but I can’t help wondering about the future of the SAT and what it means for later generations. The SAT is changing dramatically, and no one can predict where its next turn will be.