By: Ekjot Khurana
The SAT, also known as the Scholastic Assessment Test is a standardized test taken by juniors and seniors. It is a globally recognized college admission test that helps colleges understand what information they know and how well they can apply that Knowledge. Juniors and seniors submit their scores to the College Board as a part of their college application.
The older version of the SAT is composed of 3 main sections: Math, evidence-based reading, and writing with an optional 50-minute essay, the total testing time for the essay is 3 hours and 50 minutes(without the essay, 3 hours.)
The version we all remember, paper and pencil, will now be replaced with all digital. The 3-hour test will be shortened to only 2 hours, the reading passage will be shortened and college boards will allow calculators on the entire math section. This effect will begin in 2024 in the United States and in 2023 in other countries.
Although the short, less time-consuming version may seem a wonderful idea to some people, it also has multiple cons. One of the biggest problems to occur with online test-taking is distractions from screens. Study shows humans have an attention span of only 8 seconds, this causes us to be less efficient and lose our attention. About 23% of kids under the age of 10 say that they feel addicted to video games and technology and about 49% of teenagers state they have an addiction to technology. These drastic numbers can show how easily one can become easily distracted from the SAT questions and lose focus. Although the new SAT version has fewer questions and is shorter, the biggest downside of this change is the screens leading to distraction while taking the SAT tests.
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