Navigating the Digital SAT: Strategies for Success in a New Era

On the second day of College Board’s annual Forum, Nicole Gibbs, Senior senior Director director,of External Engagement for College Readiness Assessments, spoke to a room packed with educators about how to successfully navigate the new, digital SAT®. Gibbs kicked off her presentation by polling the audience: who’s never attended an official digital SAT session before (a handful of people), who feels comfortable and confident with the digital SAT (most of the attendees), and who is already administering the digital SAT (half the room). Once she had an idea of who was in the room and their familiarity with the topic, Gibbs jumped right into her presentation.

1. Digital SAT Suite Evolution

Starting at the beginningTo begin, Gibbs reiterated the four 4 key commitments College Board made when they we announced the switch to digital in January 2022: the digital SAT would be easier to take for students, easier to give for educators, more secure from a test security standpoint, and more relevant to students’ lived experience. The first year of the digital SAT Suite confirmed the importance of learning from research, pilots, and student feedback, improving students’ testing experience, and continuing to listen to schools and districts about their experience.

2. Current Trends and Insights

More than 9 million digital SAT Suite tests have been taken since the test launched internationally in March 2023 launch, including SAT School Day, SAT Weekend, and the PSAT-related assessments. Cohort participation has continued to rebound from the aftereffects of the pandemic. And SAT School Day participation has increased from 27% of the cohort in 2017 to 68% of the cohort in 2024. Gibbs noted that 80% of students surveyed want the opportunity to test and send their scores to colleges.

“For millions of students, the SAT Suite is an opportunity for students to raise their hands and be seen, in spaces and places they may not have otherwise,” Gibbs added.

3. College Board’s Efforts to Expand Digital SAT Access

Discussing College Board’s work to expand student access to the digital SAT, Gibbs addressed the SAT Weekend capacity challenges in a few areas and described the vigilant efforts underway to find solutions. Gibbs also explained the new student self-identification process for fee- waiver benefits, and students’ access to free practice on the Bluebook™ app and free preparation through Khan Academy®.

4. Enhancing Relevance for Every Student

With the digital SAT Suite, more resources are available for students who might be taking different paths, whether they’re going to a four-year or two-year program, or the workforce.

“The SAT Suite is a catalyst for student achievement and opportunity in a number of ways,” Gibbs said as she introduced BigFuture.org and the BigFuture® School mobile app to the discussion. Many in the audience were familiar with the resources, which connect to SAT Weekend and in-school respectively and give students information and control over their own college and career planning. Careers Insights is another resource students can use with the help of educators to explore careers and strengthen their skills.

5. Digital Platform Feedback and Updates

Recent updates to the digital platform, such as the data dashboard, have already received positive feedback, including from the educators in the room. One audience member shared that she found it to be beneficial to see all 15 of her district’s testing sites in one view, which Gibbs noted was added because of feedback. Gibbs shared additional information about new features to benefit students and educators, including a universal highlights and notes tool, SAT score sends in exam setup, and security enhancements.

6. Resources for Educators

To wrap up the presentation, Gibbs walked through several resources for educators, including K–12 Reporting Portalscore reporting portal access, score delivery timelines, Skills Insights™, and the Educator Question Bank. To conclude, Gibbs and the audience engaged in a robust Q&A about various test and administration details, as the educators prepared to begin or continue administering the digital SAT Suite to their students.