Almost every student can relate to the pure boredom and fear of the SAT test. The long reading, writing, and endless studying for anything and everything puts most students in agony. 

The SAT is a long required test used by colleges for scholarships and other administrative objectives. These tests are on paper and pencil, the results are given back in a couple of months, and there are at least three practice tests. 

I’m sure if you say the acronym SAT, many high school students would shudder. This three-hour test is the bane of many students’ existence. But as of 2024,  the SAT in the United States will be online and will be less of a horror to face.  It will be released internationally in 2023.

This is beneficial for many reasons. The test will be an hour shorter, meaning the reading sections are reduced, and the math portion will allow calculators. The three-hour test is going down to two—a large reduction. 

This reduced reading section will allow for more time per question. This will lessen the stress students feel as they go through the SAT. Another stress removed will be the no calculator portion of the math section; the entire math portion will allow the use of a calculator; personally, this is the most terrifying part of the SAT currently, so the added crutch will definitely put me at ease. 

Another reason to support the SAT going online is that it will be far less time-consuming and complicated to administrate. Less shipping between schools to attain the tests and not having to then send the completed tests back will allow the tests to be given and graded in a shorter amount of time. Almost everyone knows the scores for the SAT aren’t available for a few months after taking the test, but with the online format, the scores will be available in the span of a few days. 

Another aspect of the new online SAT is that the transcript will come with a list of schools or careers that will personally fit the score someone attains. This lets students see options that can specifically be beneficial for them, and it lets students know there is more to look at than just a  four-year college after high school. 

Now, I am aware that fear comes with change, and changing how the SAT is given can cause paranoia about cheating. The screens of students will be made viewable to the college board so there will be no open windows besides the test page. The online format will also make it so that when one test is compromised for cheating, it won’t affect the entire group of students, as the test is unique for each individual student. This means the chances of cheating are actually reduced by going online. 

The turn to online SAT is a positive one. This helps students reduce the stress that is accompanied by the SAT and shows new paths for students that may not be shown to them before. The SAT is following the trend of modernization and turning to technology; this is an entirely superior way of testing and a good change.