The SAT is a globally recognized standardized test for college admission in the United States that is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college. Through the years, the SAT has changed and with it, the way to prepare for it. Starting spring of 2024, the new digital computer-based SAT format will take effect in the United States except for those whose accommodations require a paper test. Dolphin Academic Prep keeps in tune with such changes and works with each student to ensure that they have the necessary tools in hand for an effective test-taking experience.
How is the SAT structured and what does it measure?
The new digital computer-based SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes long and tests one’s knowledge of math and combined reading and writing – areas that are closely tied to the school curriculum. Generally, students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and many colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions. There are 2 main sections: (1) Math and (2) Reading and Writing. The questions on the SAT are mainly multiple choice questions except for the student-produced response (eg. open-ended) questions in the math section, and both the math and the combined reading and writing sections will have 4 unscored questions mixed in with the scored questions. Each section receives a score on the scale of 200 – 800. The combined scaled SAT score can range from 400 – 1600; 1600, being the maximum score attainable, is a combination of getting a perfect scaled score in both sections.
The digitized SAT is adaptive – meaning the difficulty of a section’s second stage will be based on a student’s performance on the first stage. Each of the math and combined reading and writing sections are designed as two-stage adaptive test designs. One section each of math and combined reading and writing is administered via two separately timed modules. As the digital SAT is section-adaptive and not question-adaptive, students will be able to jump from one question to the next, or leave a question blank and flag it to return back to it later. The second module difficulty is not tabulated until the first module is submitted as complete.
| Category | Reading & Writing Section | Math Section |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 2-Stage Adaptive Design – 1 Reading and Writing section administered via two separately timed modules | 2-Stage Adaptive Design – 1 Math section administered via two separately timed modules |
| Test Length | 1st Module – 25 operational questions and 2 pretest questions 2nd Module – 25 operational questions and 2 pretest questions | 1st. Module – 20 operational questions and 2 pretest questions 2nd Module – 20 operational questions and 2 pretest questions |
| Time Per Stage | 1st Module – 32 minute 2nd Module – 32 minutes | 1st Module – 35 minutes 2nd Module – 35 minutes |
| Total # of Questions – Total Time | 54 questions – 64 minutes | 44 questions – 70 minutes |
Dolphin Academic Prep offers personalized SAT tutoring!
We are here to answer your questions, so give us a call or send us an email to see how personalized SAT tutoring with a private Dolphin Academic Prep tutor can help benefit your student.
Not sure if you should take the ACT or SAT?
Check out the article ACT vs SAT! Still confused? We are here to answer your questions, so give us a call or send us an email to see how personalized SAT tutoring with a private Dolphin Academic Prep tutor can help benefit your student. Please note that the SAT will change to the digital computer-based version in the U.S. starting spring 2024 so stay tuned to updated comparison info, or give Dolphin a call with any questions you currently have at 646-490-5075.
More information
For information on the NEW DIGITAL SAT, please click on it’s link to be directed to the exam’s page.
When is the SAT offered?
Check to see when the SAT is being offered.