Expert Digital SAT Prep Tips and Resources

Testing and the new digital SAT continue to be hot topics in the college admissions world. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Laura Heslin Whitmore, owner of Strategic Test Prep, about her take on the new digital SAT and top tips for preparing for it. We discussed some of the changes in the SAT, the adaptive format, the DESMOS calculator, and some great tools to use as you prepare.

Digital SAT English Section

Laura tells us about the changes, valuable skills needed to do well on that section, and how you can better prepare for it. While the sections are shorter, students need to be able to analyze the text quickly and possess a strong level of vocabulary. Being able to paraphrase and break down the information quickly are skills that will be very valuabale here.

Digital SAT Math Section

We talked about the more conceptual nature of the math questions and the power of the built-in DESMOS calculator. Students should absolutely learn how to use the calculator well before the test.

Adaptive Testing

Students who do not reach a certain score on the first base-line module of the test, will be given the ‘easier’ module for the second half of their test. This means that these students will have a lower maximum score possible. It is estimated that students who get the easier module will be able to obtain a max score of around a 600 in each section. It is important for students to do well on this first module to be able to get the higher maximum scores. Using process of elimination and taking advantage of the answer-eliminator tool are important. Understanding the test format and preparing well will help with this.

How early should students take the SAT?

This is a vety dependent upon what academic levels the students have, but Laura recommends students begin testing sophomore year in order to allow time to take the test 2-3 times and have ample time to prepare before senior year. Students get so busy as they reach end of junior year and often it is difficult to find the time to study and schedule the SAT or ACT.

How many times should students take the SAT?

There is no magic number, but typically she does see a point where students max out their scores. This is not necessarily because they have reached their full potential, it is more because they are just mentally done with it. They get burnt out on prep and testing and just stop improving at a certain point.

Great Resources for Preparing for the Digital SAT

Of course the best resource to start with is the official College Board Bluebook. They have official questions and 6 full tests available for free with more coming soon.

Laura’s app, Preptly, is a great resource for students to use to prepare for the test on the go. It was created specifically for the digital SAT and is continuously updated with new questions and materials. Students are able to use the app to prepare for short amounts of time whenever they can.

For English:

Erica Meltzer’s Reading and Writing Test Book: Digital SAT

Vibrant Publisher’s prep books

For Math:

College Panda

1600.io

Blueprep is another company which offers a free full test and paid prep materials using the same format as the Bluebook.

And of course, you can contact Laura and her great team of tutors at Strategic Test Prep for one-on-one tutoring.

Digital SAT prep tips with Laura Heslin Whitmore and Ashley McNaughton

Digital SAT Tips

The digital SAT has debuted internationally and will most likely remain the only form available for international students from now on. Many are a bit apprehensive after witnessing CollegeBoard’s struggles with digital AP exams in recent years, but so far the feedback has been mostly positive.

Here is a quick breakdown of the primary differences between the two test formats:

WHERE and WHEN:

The test is still required to be taken at a school or official test center. However, the possibility of more test dates and flexibility in test centers scheduling them may make it easier for students to find a test date that fits their schedule and location. For international students, this could make a big difference as their previous test dates and locations were more limited. Students will register for the test on the CollegeBoard site as they did previously, however the new schedule for Fall/Winter 2023-24 has not been released yet. Students who have signed up for the Spring/Summer dates at international sites will already have the digital format. The digital format will be implemented in the US starting Fall 2023 for PSAT and Spring 2024 for SAT.

COMPUTERS and CALCULATORS:

Students can bring their own tablets or laptops or they can use those provided at the test site. It is beneficial for the student to bring their own device as they will be more familiar with it and provided laptops are limited. Graphing calculators will also be built in to the test, so students who feel comfortable using those can leave their own at home. The Desmos calculator which is built in is a great tool for students who are familiar with it, but if they are not, it is recommended to bring their own. Students will still be provided scratch paper and can use a pen/pencil to work on solutions as needed.

Before test day, students need to download the Bluebook App to their testing device. They should make sure it is sucessfully installed and familiarize themselves with it.

VERBAL SECTION:

The verbal section of the SAT will now have much shorter passages, mostly just a few sentences, as they are limited to how much text will fit on a computer screen. Students will only answer a single question about a short passage and then move on to another entirely different one. It would be beneficial to do some practice questions to get used to the format.

ADAPTIVE TESTING:

A major change with the digital SAT is the new adaptive testing model. Now, students will face different sets of questions based on the accuracy of how they answered the first module of each section. There are two possible levels of questions the students will receive and the highest score possible on the SAT will be different based on which level of questions they get. You can read more about this model here. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a sudden switch to much more difficult questions if you get the higher level for your second module. There is still a balance in the difficulty of the questions. The test prep experts at Applerouth who have seen more of the new test have assured me that students actually have to get a lot of incorrect answers to get the ‘lower’ level of questions. It also shouldn’t be looked at as a disadvantage. Instead of having these students struggle and lose time with harder questions, they are able to focus their energy on questions more appropriate for their level. Everyone gets to take a shorter test and spend more time on each question with this new model.

NEW TOOLS:

There are a few tools available within the digital format that can definitely help students. Students could practice making use of these tools to test more efficiently. My favorite two are:

Answer Eliminator – a tool to eliminate answers students deem as incorrect from view so they can focus on the remaining answers

Question Flag – students can now flag questions within a section for further review later.

TEST PREP:

As the new format has not been out long, most test prep companies have not done a lot of updating to their materials. When searching for a test prep company, I definitely recommend asking them how they have adapted their materials. Many of the tutors and companies do not have experience with the new test or access to materials to prepare students for the digital SAT. However, the official CollegeBoard site now has digital SAT prep materials available for free. Also, Applerouth has done a great job of getting materials ready for digital SAT prep.

The international ACT has been digital for years and as with the paper format, it is much different than the SAT. Students should consider taking a practice test for both the ACT and SAT to decide which test is the best for them.