• The first round of SAT tests for South African students start next month.
• This year’s tests will be different, with it being the first time that they will be administered digitally.
• This year’s changes should help students better handle the impact brought about by loadshedding, local organisation Crimson Education notes.

For those South African students looking to take SAT tests this year, there will be a notable difference.

This as the first round of tests taking place in March will be done digitally, which is the first time the SAT has been administered that way in SA.

“The shift from written to digital tests comes into effect in March, alongside other key changes, including significantly shorter wait time for results, and the use of an adaptive question model. For local high school students looking to study in the United States, taking note of these changes is essential as they prepare for a new testing format that they have not been exposed to before,” highlights local learning consulting firm Crimson Education in a press release sent to Hypertext.

Over the past two years we have seen students struggle as a result of the pandemic and continued loadshedding. 2022 saw some of the worst and longest bouts of blackouts in the country for some time, but there is hope that the shift to a digital approach can help address some of the impact.

As Crimson Education’s country manager, Rebecca Pretorius, points out, taking the tests digitally does not mean they can be done at home, however. To that end, she explains that, the tests will still be conducted at designated testing centres across the country, where they can be monitored by examiners. Those sitting their SAT will have the option to either use a supplied device, or to bring their own.

Having all students sit the test in one venue decreases the chance of loadshedding causing issues, the organisation notes.

“Technical issues are likely a big concern for local students, with load shedding stages often shifting quickly, and without advance notice. The digital SAT has catered for this, by including a fail-safe that saves data in case of technical problems. This means students can take the tests, with the peace of mind that their progress won’t be lost if load shedding hits,” says the country manager.

Along with the shift to digital, a number of other changes are in the offing. Here Crimson stresses that, “the test will only be two hours long, instead of the standard three hours, and it will be adaptive. This means that certain questions will be based on each student’s answers in previous sections. While the content will not be changing, the questions will be quite different to previous SATs.”

“There will be four sections – two reading and writing sections, and two maths sections. The second section of each topic will be based off of the previous answers each student gave. Not only will this make the results more precise, but it will also mean students receive their answers in a matter of days, instead of waiting weeks,” continues Pretorius.

With the March round set in stone, those wanting to write the next round of SAT tests will need to register to do so by 7th April, with those tests taking place on 8th May. Those wanting to gain access to additional resources and tools ahead of the next round of tests are advised to head to the Crimson Education portal here.

[Image – Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash]