Susan Powers, our Founder, recently served on an industry expert panel about the Digital SAT at the National Test Prep Association’s Winter Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 13th. The panel included Mike Bergin – Chair of the Board of the National Test Prep Association, co-host of the popular college admissions podcast Test and the Rest, and President and Owner of Chariot Learning based in Rochester, New York; Lori Tofexis – SAT curriculum expert and Owner of Circle Test Prep based in Hollywood, Florida; and Brenna O’Neill (moderator) – President of Test Innovators, a leader in digital test preparation curriculum.
Below are a few of the important takeaways from the industry panel.
Desmos is changing the way students will approach the math modules. It is the biggest change in decades.
2. But the biggest changes on the Digital SAT lie in the verbal modules. Check out how the verbal modules are structured and what that means for how you need to allocate your time!
Here at Woodlands Test Prep, we’ve been preparing for the Digital SAT for the last year: analyzing every aspect, building a world-class curriculum, and finding the best ways for students to approach it. We’re here to share what we’ve learned with you!
The College Board announced that the SAT will be going digital in March 2024, and the PSAT will be going digital in October 2023. As if *that* isn’t big enough news, they are also changing the format substantively to be more student-friendly.
Update: The first widely available practice tests are available! Click here to download the app and check out the new format!
So What’s Changing?
Structure:
Same scoring format, still on 1600 scale
Shorter overall test time – approximately 2 hours instead of 3.25 hours
Adaptive scoring – performance on the first section of topic affects the difficulty of the second section
Much more time per question
No more long reading passages
Built in Desmos graphing calculator for ALL math questions
Logistics:
Moving to an all-digital format – bring your own device or use one of the College Board’s
Students will still test at a testing center
Students will install the testing app prior to testing day
Digital PSAT will be much the same as the Digital SAT in structure
Much faster score receipt – in days rather than weeks
Accommodations will be handled in the digital environment
National test dates will remain unchanged; many more choices for School Day dates
Overall, the changes are good for students!
When Is All This Happening?
First up, the PSAT will be Digital Adaptive in 2023 – this coming fall! Then, the regular SAT will switch completely to the Digital Adaptive format in March 2024. The Class of 2025 – this year’s sophomores – have several choices to make.
What Does That Mean For My High School Student?
If you are a junior this year (Class of 2024), you won’t see any changes. Just keep on doing your thing!
If you are a sophomore this year (Class of 2025), this change affects you significantly. See the table below for options, and contact us to schedule a free consultation to help you navigate these changes.
Note: If you are aiming for National Merit in 2023, prepping will be more complicated due to the switch. We are ready to help you navigate the new format with confidence!
If you are a freshman this year (Class of 2026) or younger, this will all be old news by the time you get there. You’ll be able to choose between paper ACT and Digital Adaptive SAT.
As always, Woodlands Test Prep is on top of the change to the Digital Adaptive PSAT and SAT. We look forward to helping with all your questions!
The National Merit Scholarship Program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in cooperation with the College Board to recognize high achieving high school seniors. Entry into the competition is based on junior-year (only) PSAT/NMSQT scores. The NMSC awards approximately $50 million in scholarships each year, and some colleges provide additional scholarships to recognized students, multiplying the net impact of National Merit many times. For example, Texas A&M offers over $40,000 per student in scholarships, and UT Dallas offers scholarships that cover all tuition, fees, and up to $50,000 of other expenses!
To enter, you must take the PSAT/NMSQT as a high school junior and either attend high school in the United States or U.S. Territories or be a U.S. student studying abroad. Entry into the program is based on your Selection Index; you can find your selection index on your PSAT score report. To calculate it, take the sum of your reading + writing + math section scores (two-digit numbers) and multiply by two.
Note to Current Sophomores on the New Digital Adaptive PSAT
Current sophomores (class of 2025) will be taking their PSAT on paper in the fall. However, in the Fall of 2023, the new Digital Adaptive PSAT only will be offered, meaning that the usual “warm up” for junior year won’t be the same for this year’s sophomores. College Board has indicated that they will release four SAT practice tests in mid-October in the new testing platform. One has already been released! In the meantime, focus on core skills (the skills tested on the digital PSAT will remain the same as those on the current paper test), and then prep for the digital PSAT during summer 2023.
The Road to Becoming a National Merit Scholar
If you’re interested in becoming a National Merit Scholar, let’s look at the timeline on how to make this dream a reality. Also check out our upcoming National Merit Scholar Seminar!
October. (Junior Year)
The road officially begins your junior year in October, when millions of students take their PSAT and are entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program.
April (Junior Year)
NMSC will ask high school principals to identify any errors or changes in the reported eligibility of students whose scores will qualify them for recognition in the fall of 2023. At this point, the Commended cutoff score becomes widely, although unofficially, known.
September (Senior Year)
Semifinalists are recognized in early September. Semifinalists are allocated proportionally by state, i.e. the more graduating students a state has, the more Semifinalists that state will have. Therefore, some states have higher cutoffs for their scores than others. Traditionally, students in Texas need to have a Selection Index score between 218 and 221. The Texas Semifinalist cutoff for the class of 2023 is 219. Semifinalists advance in the competition. Commended students are recognized in late September. While Commended students don’t advance in the competition, it looks great on college applications and some colleges even award scholarships based on Commended status. The cutoff for the class of 2023 is 207.
October (Senior Year)
National Merit Semifinalists must complete an application, which includes submitting an essay and a recommendation from your school. The application also allows you to choose your “first choice” school, which is an important step: whatever school you choose is the only school you can receive scholarships from. You can always change your choice later. Semifinalists must also have a “confirming score:” an SAT or ACT score that confirms your PSAT performance. This score must be completed by December.
February (Senior Year)
Finalists are notified. Approximately 95% of Semi-Finalists are named National Merit Finalists.
March (Senior Year)
Scholarships based on the school you listed as “first choice” on your application begin to be awarded. Many schools offer a National Merit scholarship of $500-$2500 per year.
So What Should I Do?
Current Juniors
The time for test prep begins during the summer between your sophomore and junior year. If you think you have what it takes to be a National Merit Scholar, sign up for our Goal 1600 class during the summer or one-on-one tutoring. All our classes provide individualized attention, tailored assignments, and focused feedback in a small group setting. They are both fun and effective, helping students achieve their testing goals. Our Goal 1600 class is specifically designed for students aiming for National Merit Semifinalist scores. This class goes quickly through the regular content and focuses then on strategy and practice for the hard questions. In order to help ensure students are in a class that best suits them, students must meet a minimum SAT score (or equivalent PSAT score) of 1300 to be admitted to the class. To check out our current classes, click here.
If you would prefer to work one-on-one with one of our expert tutors, we offer private tutoring in your home that covers all the material and meets students where they are. To sign up for one-on-one tutoring, click here.
Current Sophomores and Younger
Focus on your core skills of reading comprehension, grammar and rhetorical techniques, and math competence. Use the results from the PSAT as a guide to what areas need attention. One specific suggestion is to dramatically increase the amount of challenging non-fiction reading. The vast majority of the test (even the math section!) is based on non-fiction reading and most students don’t get enough opportunities. We’ve developed a great list of free, online resources to work on non-fiction reading comprehension.
Our Difference
Woodlands Test Prep has helped 25 students become National Merit Semifinalists in the last 5 years. We have specialized in the SAT, PSAT, and ACT for 11 years. We are the expertson these tests. Every one of our tutors has the heart of a teacher and loves what they do. Check out our website at www.woodlandstestprep.com to find out more information about our tutoring services and classes, or give us a call at 713-205-1807 to get a free consultation today.
Woodlands Test Prep founder, Susan Powers, was recently interviewed by Mathchops. Mathchops is an online math software that allows students to practice in a manner specifically designed to increase their score. Check out the whole interview for insights into the Woodlands Test Prep method as well as how we incorporate Mathchops into our curriculum.
Need to compare an ACT score? We can help you take one at home any time for free!
Heads up! The SAT is changing to a digital format.
Students have taken a Digital PSAT and the SAT will begin the digital format in March 2024.
Click here for all the scoop that you need for the Digital SAT!
Which one should I take?
It’s junior year; the time has come.
Time to start considering the college admissions process. A big part of that process is taking the SAT or ACT to apply to college. So the questions loom:
Which test do you take?
Should you take both?
Which one is easier?
Understanding the answers to these questions is your first strategic decision in your college admissions process. Here are a few important points to consider:
All colleges accept both tests. This is great. Having the freedom to submit either test to your college of choice allows you to pick the test that works best for you.
You should prep only for the test that suits you best. Most students do better on one test or the other. You can figure out which one is better for you by taking a practice and then comparing it to your PSAT or SAT results. Use our handy comparison tables (below) to compare your results.
Each test has a different feel. The ACT is on paper, takes longer, and is more straightforward, but much more quickly paced. The Digital SAT is on a computer, gives significantly more time per question but takes much less time overall, but it’s wordier and uses more complex vocabulary. The ACT tests all types of math; whereas the SAT focuses primarily on Algebra. The SAT gives all students access to Desmos – a built-in graphing calculator; it’s a game-changer! The ACT includes a Science Reasoning section which tests data analysis skills more thoroughly than those skills are tested on the SAT. Pick the test that aligns best with your personal style and gives you the highest score.
Use these tips when beginning to formulate your testing plan. Creating a testing strategy helps to maximize your results and remove stress from the process. Woodlands Test Prep can help! Call us at 713.205.1807 today for a free 30-minute consultation on your test prep strategy.
And click herefor our in-depth discussion of PSAT scores and National Merit considerations.
