Digital SAT
The Digital SAT has replaced the longer paper version and features several major changes. Reading and English are combined in one section, with shorter passages. Math is structured the same as the paper test, but a calculator is now allowed on all Math sections. The test is shorter overall - approximately 2 hours long, compared to the 3-hour paper version. The test is adaptive: the difficulty of the second module in each section adjusts based on your performance in the first module.
Test Sections:
*image from collegeboard.com
SAT v. ACT: How to decide?!
When taking their pSAT, some students show a natural preference for this test. Other students may take a diagnostic of each before tutoring begins to decide. The Digital SAT is now shorter than the ACT by almost an hour. The Reading/English sections feature shorter passages, potentially making it easier to maintain focus. The scope of Math topics is a bit more focused, with the ACT testing more obscure Math information (matrices, asymptotes, logs) that the SAT doesn't cover. However, SAT Math questions can be more multi-step than the more straightforward ACT Math questions. Math questions on the SAT may require more complex steps to arrive at the answer whereas Math questions on the ACT can generally be solved more quickly.
2025-2026 Test Dates:
Oct 4, 2025
Deadline to register: Sept 19, 2025
Nov 8, 2025
Deadline to register: Oct 24, 2025
Dec 6, 2025
Deadline to register: Nov 21, 2025
March 14, 2025
Deadline to register: Feb 27, 2026
May 2, 2026
Deadline to register: Apr 17, 2026
June 6, 2026
Deadline to register: May 22, 2026