On Jan. 28, the online SAT pilot test happened around the world. In Korea, testing took place at Chadwick International School and other SAT centers near Seoul.

Many students went to different testing centers to take online tests. This pilot test was the first time the College Board (CB) used the online testing format. The online SAT features a new grading system as well as test types.  

The new SAT divides both the math and English section into two modules. Module one features a first set of questions that will later change the question difficulty for module 2. The English module one and two last 32 minutes each while the math modules one and two last 35 minutes each. 

“In my opinion, the new test had an easier reading and writing section,” Sean Kim (10), test-taker, said. “However, because of how easily each wrong answer impacts my grade, I felt more pressure.”

Yet, the College Board Suite of Assessments Specifications Overview states that the use of reading and writing passages from different subjects and emphasis on “high-utility words” will stay intact. Furthermore, College Board announced that math problems will still have both multiple-choice and student-produced answers. 

One substantial change is the test time from 3 hours to 2 hours and 14 minutes. Even more, the reading and writing test is now merged into one rather than two separate sections. In addition to merging, the reading and writing test will feature only one question per passage.  In the math section, calculators can be used throughout the entire test. Also, the length of the context questions has been shortened. 

“The new changes in the math section made it a lot more comfortable for me to take the test,” Alex Nam, SAT student, said. “Though it might take some time to get used to this new testing system, students might be able to perform better.”

The online SAT officially begins on Mar. 11 for international students and 2024 for American test-takers.