Digital SAT

The SAT is an admission test for undergraduate study, used above all by universities in the United States and also accepted by a number of institutions in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and India. It measures reading, writing and mathematics skills built up over secondary school rather than knowledge of any particular syllabus.

Since the move to the digital format, the SAT is taken on a laptop or tablet through the College Board's Bluebook app, under supervision at a test centre. It is shorter than the old paper test, the reading passages are much briefer, a calculator is permitted throughout the mathematics section, and each section adapts to your performance in two stages.

Whether you need an SAT score at all depends on the university. Policies have moved back and forth in recent years: some institutions require it, some are test-optional, and some have reinstated a requirement after a period without one. Even where it is optional, a strong score can support an application or a merit scholarship, so check the current policy for every university on your list.

The Digital SAT has two sections, each split into two modules, with a short break between the sections.

• Reading and Writing — short passages, each followed by a single question, covering comprehension, vocabulary in context, the structure and purpose of a text, grammar and usage, and how ideas are expressed.
• Math — algebra, advanced mathematics, problem solving and data analysis, and geometry and trigonometry. Most questions are multiple choice and some require you to enter your own answer. A built-in graphing calculator is available, and you may also bring an approved calculator.
• Adaptive modules — in each section, your performance in the first module decides whether the second module is harder or easier. Both routes can lead to a score, but the harder route is the one that opens the top of the scale.

Test-day details — timing, permitted devices, calculator rules — are set by the College Board and updated from time to time, so check the current official guidance before your test date.

The Digital SAT reports a total score from 400 to 1600, the sum of two section scores of 200 to 800 — one for Reading and Writing and one for Math.

• Because the test is adaptive, the score depends on both how many questions you answer correctly and the difficulty of the questions you were given.
• There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so every question should be answered.
• Results are usually released within a few days to a couple of weeks of the test, and are sent to the universities you choose.
• Many universities practise superscoring — combining your best section scores from different test dates — while others consider only a single sitting. Each institution states its own approach.

There is no single pass mark. Look at the score ranges each university publishes for admitted students, and aim for the range that makes your application competitive there.

• Download the official Bluebook app and take the full-length practice tests in it. They use the same interface and adaptive design as the real test.
• Get used to the built-in graphing calculator early; it can solve many questions faster than working by hand, but only if you already know how to use it.
• Aim for accuracy in the first module of each section. It decides which second module you receive.
• Read the short Reading and Writing passages closely. Each question depends on a small amount of text, so one misread word costs the mark.
• Learn the grammar rules the test actually examines — punctuation between clauses, subject–verb agreement, verb tense and transitions — rather than grammar in general.
• Answer every question. There is no penalty for guessing.
• Check each university's testing policy before deciding how many attempts to plan for.