On Jan. 25, the College Board announced that the SAT will be moving completely online starting in 2024. The three hour exam will be condensed into two hours, and reading passages will be shortened. The new version will also combine the current two math sections into one calculator only section. 

According to the College Board, around 80% of students who took the SAT digitally reported finding the online format less stressful than in-person tests.

While test takers will be allowed to use their own devices in order to take the test, they must use them at a monitored testing site or at their school. 

This shift in format coincides with many universities’ decisions to make the standardized tests less weighted in their college admissions decisions. 

A growing number of colleges are not requiring SAT score submissions in student applications. According to the educational organization FairTest, over 1,800 schools did not require SAT scores for high school seniors applying for Fall 2022. 

College Counselor Leslie Felipe said that this change would impact students differently depending on how they have prepared for the SAT previously. 

“Depending on the student, a smaller emphasis on the SAT could allow a lot of their other skills to shine instead,” Felipe said. “On the flip side, those who have just been preparing for standardized tests may need to expand into other areas.”