1 of 14

�Going Digital: �The New SAT-ACT Landscape

Presented by Goldstein Test Prep

412-874-7645

© Goldstein Test Prep

2 of 14

Big Picture 1: What It Is Really All About

© Goldstein Test Prep

SAT

ACT

Easy Q – Most Get Right

Med Q – Half Get Right

Hard Q – Most Get Wrong

Questions Straight-Forward

Huge Time Crunch

More Advanced Math

3 of 14

Big Picture Pause: Reality Check and Your Unique Situation – Admission v Enrollment

© Goldstein Test Prep

4 of 14

Score Optional Admissions and You �(and absolutely no one else)

  • Do Your Research on the Schools That Interest You
    • Look up average SAT/ACT scores
    • Determine which program or school at the university/college you might apply to
    • Consider the context
      • Your scores v Your GPA and High School Course Rigor
      • Your scores compared to your community (not compared to college averages)
      • What is the acceptance rate of the program you are applying to?

© Goldstein Test Prep

5 of 14

2025-26 SAT and ACT Testing Dates

SAT Testing Dates

SAT Testing Dates

​

  • August 23
  • October 4
  • November 8
  • December 6

​

  • March 14
  • May 2
  • June 6

​

​

​

ACT Testing Dates

ACT Testing Dates

​

  • September 13
  • October 25
  • December 13

​

  • February 14
  • April 11
  • June 13

© Goldstein Test Prep

6 of 14

Digital SAT Format

  • Most Notable Changes
    • Shorter Testing Time: 2 Hours 14 Minutes
      • 2 Sections, Each with 2 Modules
        • R&W Module 1 (32 minutes for 27 questions)
        • R&W Module 2 (32 minutes for 27 questions)
        • Math Module 1 (35 minutes for 22 questions)
        • Math Module 2 (35 minutes for 22 questions)

​

    • Adaptive Testing
      • Difficulty of Module 2 Sections Adapted to Performance on Module 1

© Goldstein Test Prep

7 of 14

Digital SAT: Other Major Changes

  • Reading/Writing Sections
    • Reading and Writing Sections Will Be Combined
    • Every Passage Has Only One Associated Question (Formerly 10-11 Questions)
    • Broken Down Into Four Domains: Craft/Structure, Info and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Expression of Ideas
    • Questions Grouped By Domain in Increasing Order of “Difficulty”

​

  • Math Sections
    • Every Question Is Discrete (No Multi-Stage Questions)
    • Calculator Available for Every Question

​

© Goldstein Test Prep

8 of 14

Digital SAT: Logistics

  • Students Still Go to Testing Sites

​

  • Students Bring Their Own Laptop or Tablet
    • College Board’s Bluebook App Most Be Downloaded in Advance

​

  • Scratch Paper Will Be Provided (And Will Be Essential)

​

  • Testing Tools Built Into Bluebook App: Calculator, Highlighting Tool, Question Flag, Answer Choice Eliminator

​

​

​

© Goldstein Test Prep

9 of 14

The Enhanced ACT

  • Acquired by For-Profit Venture Capital Firm in Spring 2024
  • Desire to Increase Market Share After Overtaking SAT in 2014-16
  • Issues They Sought to Address
    • Timecrunch
    • The Length of the Test
    • Fear of the Science Section
    • Make the Test More Pleasant to Take

​

  • How Will They Maintain Their Bell Curve?
  • How Will Colleges Respond to Changes

​

​

© Goldstein Test Prep

10 of 14

So What’s Changed?�Section Times and Not Much Else

© Goldstein Test Prep

​

Current Format

​

New Format

Other Changes

English Section

45 minutes

75 questions

35 minutes

50 questions

Every question will include specific directions to indicate rule being tested

Math Section

60 minutes

60 questions

50 minutes

45 questions

Four answer choice options instead of five

Reading Section

35 minutes

40 questions

40 minutes

36 questions

​

Science Section

35 minutes

40 questions

40 minutes

40 questions

OPTIONAL

11 of 14

English Section Including Prompts for Grammar Questions

© Goldstein Test Prep

12 of 14

ACT Practical Changes: What We Know and What We Don’t

  • What We Know
    • Not an Adaptive Test
    • Shorter (without Science Section): 2 hours 5 minutes
    • Slightly More Time Per Question
    • Less Proportional Margin for Error

​

  • What We Don’t Know for Sure
    • Bell Curve Mechanism Appears to Still be TIMECRUNCH
    • How Will Colleges Respond to Optional Science?
    • Will Colleges Superscore Across Testing Types?

© Goldstein Test Prep

13 of 14

ACT Options and Recommendations

© Goldstein Test Prep

Question

General Answer

Should I take the paper or digital test?

Probably paper, but will be dictated by available test centers: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/test-center-locator.html

Should I take the science section?

Probably – it might be required

Should I take the writing section?

No

14 of 14

Contact Information

  • If you want help planning, please be in touch!

​

​

​

© Goldstein Test Prep