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Most of the information being shared about the new Digital SAT is irrelevant to what you really need to know: what your children should be doing differently now to maximize their scores on this fall’s Digital PSAT and on the Digital SAT next March in the US (or this March internationally).

The Verbal section has changed the most, primarily because long reading passages cannot fit on one computer screen. This means that traditional Reading Comprehension is no longer a feature of the SAT. Although many students will celebrate this, it just means that a new challenge has been substituted in its place. Remember when SAT prep meant cramming vocabulary? Well, it’s back, and much bigger than before.

Approximately twenty-two percent of the Verbal now consists of advanced vocabulary questions, but a closer inspection reveals that another type of question (about thirteen percent of the total) hinges exclusively on vocabulary as well. This means that over a third of the verbal questions are purely a matter of vocabulary and nearly every question (including new components like poetry) requires advanced vocabulary.

Fortunately, it’s far easier to master vocabulary now using free “spaced-repetition” software such as Anki. Almost any student who gets into the habit of spending five minutes daily will find a majority of the Verbal section of the Digital SAT to be simple and fun. Those who cram can multiply their advanced vocabularies by a factor of about ten in six weeks by learning thirty-three words per day.

The major change to the Math section is that a calculator is permitted throughout, and that an advanced, built-in calculator is supplied with the test. However, this means that students are likely to learn exactly the wrong lesson, because calculator overuse lowers scores.

Yes, I know this doesn't make intuitive sense, but that is the case with many things about the SAT. Here’s why: every SAT question is designed to fool a certain percent of students. An “easy” question is one that tricks a minority of students, while a “hard” one will often have a trap that ensnares nearly everyone. The calculator can be a thief of attention which makes it very easy to fool a student who is preoccupied with the routine of entering calculations. Therefore, I advise avoiding the calculator, except in very limited situations, because the SAT uses misdirection in order to slip something big by unsuspecting test-takers.

This means that the tiny minority of students who insist on the discipline of mental math will likely outperform their peers significantly.

In fact, the key to the highest scores on the SAT continues to be “taking the road less traveled,” and doing the things that almost no student does. I hear from parents on a daily basis who are perplexed why their straight-A students get mediocre SAT scores. This is by design: the SAT is unlike school, and each question is specifically designed to trip up students who generally do fine in school. Students who “go the extra mile” by proactively learning vocabulary, reading voraciously for pleasure, and spending a few minutes daily reviewing all of the math they’ve learned previously get higher SAT scores.

One challenge for preparing for the Digital SAT will be finding real test questions. Currently, there are dozens of real, previously administered tests available for both the SAT and ACT. However, the College Board has only supplied four sample Digital SATs, and there is reason to believe that these tests are less than fully representative. There are commonalities, however, between the new test questions and various elements of the paper-based SAT, the pre-2016 SAT, and the GRE, so test prep professionals who know which questions from these tests to use for practice will provide an advantage for the next year or two.

A month prior to taking the Digital SAT, it is worth trying out its new features by downloading the “Bluebook” app from the College Board. However, just because there are new features available does not mean that they will all serve you equally well. For example, it is better to rely on your own, familiar calculator than the built-in one. Also, don’t rely on the annotation tool: use scrap paper instead. Other features, such as the “eliminate answers” tool, and “mark this question for later review,” are helpful.

Furthermore, the Digital SAT is “adaptive,” meaning simply that although everyone gets the same first Math section, those who do well will then get a harder second Math section, while those who do poorly will get an easier second Math section. (The same goes for Verbal.) This is a positive change because it shortens the test from about three-and-a-half hours to two, minimizes frustration by dramatically reducing the number of questions that are too hard or too easy for any given student, and improves the accuracy of the score. Students shouldn’t pay much attention to this format change: all they need to know is to try their best on each question, and that ironically, if a test feels hard, it may just be a sign that they are doing well.

I hope that this is helpful, and I’m always happy to answer questions. I also have a free Zoom Information Session about the digital SAT that you are welcome to join on Sunday. PM me for details.

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