Read, write, solve. Juniors prepare to take one of the most important tests in high school. The SAT/PSAT is a newer concept this year, as the test has gone digital, and the question types have changed. Students have certain expectations of how they think it is going to be, and then the reality of what it actually was. There are also new aspects of the SAT/PSAT to prepare for now that things have changed.
“I expect it to be easier, and I expect to focus more,” junior Rachel McIntosh said. “I expect the math to be easier. With paper and pencil, I don’t focus as much, so I’ll concentrate more with the computer.”
Students have their own preferences for whether they like to test digitally or not. Also, their confidence can root from what portion of the test it is, in this case reading or math. Furthermore, being able to focus digitally is an important factor of the new SAT, which students have gradually gotten used to since Covid.
“I didn’t expect to run out of time,” junior Nayla Habeeb said. “It went by way faster than paper. I felt like the questions were easier than on paper.”
So, to speak, the SAT has brought change to time and difficulty. After practicing the paper SAT for years, it has brought surprise to students that time management is more difficult now than it was before. Also, it is now possible that the previous training has prepared students to know more than what they actually got on the test.
“There’s Khan Academy that has some practice digitally that students can prepare,” math teacher Susan Wilt said. “In my class, we’ve done some SAT practice questions from previous SAT years. Using the DESMOS calculator on the computer is going to be a challenge for some kids.”
Studying for the new SAT is similar to what students have done previous years, but there will be some changes in questions depending on how the students answer them. Also, students should get familiar with the DESMOS calculator, since it is now a new addition to the test. Overall, there are lots of resources students can use, whether the test has changed or not. Now that the format and question style has changed for the PSAT/SAT, students and teachers will be adjusting to this test for the next few years.
