which administers the SAT and related PSAT.
“We’re not simply putting the current SAT on
a digital platform. We’re taking full advantage
of what delivering an assessment digitally
makes possible.”
Once essential for college applications, scores
from admission tests like the SAT and rival
ACT carry less weight today as colleges and
universities pay more attention to the sum of
student achievements and activities throughout
high school.
Amid criticism that the exams favor wealthy,
white applicants and disadvantage minority and
low-income students, an increasing number
of schools have in recent years adopted test-
optional policies, which let students decide
whether to include scores with their applications.
The pandemic accelerated the trend as testing
sessions were canceled or inaccessible.
Nearly 80% of bachelor’s degree-granting
institutions are not requiring test scores from
students applying for fall 2022, according to
a December tally by the National Center for
Fair & Open Testing, a watchdog group that
opposes standardized testing. The group, known
as FairTest, said at least 1,400 of them have
extended the policy through at least the fall
2023 admissions cycle.
About 1.5 million members of the class of 2021
took the SAT at least once, down from 2.2 million
in the previous year. A College Board survey
found many students want to take the SAT to
preserve the option of submitting the scores
and qualifying for certain scholarships.
Rodriguez said the digital version will be
delivered in a format more familiar to students