The new online PSAT/SAT is one of the biggest changes of the 2023/2024 school year. Not only has the entire test been moved to a digital format, but the test itself has changed dramatically, and there are opinions about whether or not it’s an improvement from the previous version.
Charissa Chapman, a counselor here at the high school, acknowledges the challenges that come with the adoption of a new testing format but believes there are also a lot of benefits that come with it as well.
“Having a shorter testing time will benefit students who may struggle to stay focused on and engaged with challenging content for a long period,” Chapman said.
In addition, score reports will be returned quicker, allowing students more time to make decisions about re-testing, and those scores will provide students with information about various post-high school training programs.
However, there are still obstacles to be taken into account when it comes to the new digital testing format.
“This new format may still be a challenge for schools who do not always have reliable internet access,” Chapman said.
There are a few major changes in the new PSAT that students are adjusting to. While the paper PSAT consists of 139 questions, the digital version will only have 98 questions and is approximately two hours long instead of three. According to CollegeBoard, questions on the digital PSAT will be more direct, concise, and focused on testing different skills needed for college and career readiness.
“I think some of the biggest changes to this new format are that the longer reading passages with several questions for each passage will be replaced with shorter passages with one question for each passage. In addition, students can use the built-in calculator for the entire math section,” Chapman said.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes to the digital PSAT is the newly adopted adaptive testing format. The first module of each section will consist of a variety of easy, medium, and hard questions. The difficulty of the second module will be determined by a student’s performance on the first module.
The CollegeBoard site’s research shows that some benefits of adaptive testing are the tailored questions to meet student’s needs, more precise measurement of student’s abilities, and more secure testing, as each student has a unique test form.
“In my opinion, students have less of a chance of becoming discouraged during testing if the second section of each part adjusts to how they answered questions in the previous section. Students will not be given questions that are much too easy or much too hard,” Chapman said.
Even though there has been some uneasiness about the major changes to the PSAT, the majority of students have found that they like the new version better.
“Most students like the shorter length of the test and the ability to have a built-in calculator for the math section,” Chapman said.
However, some students miss some aspects of the paper version that are now unavailable.
“I have heard students say they miss the ability to flip pages back and forth and make notes in the booklet during the reading section,” Chapman said.
As every student navigates the changes brought by the digital PSAT, the counselors are available to help students at any time.
“We’re happy to help students find ways to practice for the new digital PSAT/SAT and to answer questions about re-taking assessments. We also stay up to date on how colleges are using standardized test scores. Students can come in or book an appointment at any time,” Chapman said.
