1 00:00:02,033 --> 00:00:04,266 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Starting today, the SAT, the Standardized College Admissions Test is 2 00:00:04,266 --> 00:00:08,866 going fully digital. The test once known for its number two pencils and fill in the bubble 3 00:00:08,866 --> 00:00:13,733 answer sheets will no longer be offered on paper. It's part of a larger redesign 4 00:00:13,733 --> 00:00:18,533 meant to make the test more accessible and fair, even as colleges and universities 5 00:00:18,533 --> 00:00:22,700 around the country have increasingly made the test optional for applicants. 6 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:27,700 The change is renewing debate over the role that tests should play and admissions. Nadra Nittle, 7 00:00:29,733 --> 00:00:33,133 Education reporter for the 19th News joins me to discuss. Nadra, thanks so much for 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,233 talking to us. What exactly is changing for students who are taking the test today? 9 00:00:40,533 --> 00:00:43,933 NADRA NITTLE, The 19TH News: So as you mentioned, the SAT is going digital in the United States 10 00:00:43,933 --> 00:00:48,900 for the first time, it actually went digital internationally last year, 11 00:00:50,966 --> 00:00:54,266 but for U.S. students, this will be a new experience. The test will also be about 12 00:00:56,266 --> 00:00:59,433 an hour shorter than the pencil and paper version. And it will be adaptive meaning 13 00:01:01,666 --> 00:01:06,666 that the question students get answered, depend on how well they do at the outset. 14 00:01:07,900 --> 00:01:09,400 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Why did the College Board 15 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:14,200 the nonprofit that runs sa t programs make this change? 16 00:01:16,366 --> 00:01:19,566 NADRA NITTLE: Well, I think one of the reasons is just, you know, young people today, teenagers, 17 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:24,800 they're digital natives. So this will be very familiar to a lot of them changing this format, 18 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:30,933 and the paper version was considered outdated. Some of my sources told me 19 00:01:32,966 --> 00:01:37,066 that they also think this is a way to make the test more attractive as colleges and 20 00:01:38,833 --> 00:01:42,133 universities increasingly make it an optional admissions requirement. 21 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:46,900 So by making it shorter, making it digital, even making it adaptive, 22 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:50,633 or always to make it more attractive to students. 23 00:01:50,633 --> 00:01:53,933 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Do these changes do anything to address some of the 24 00:01:53,933 --> 00:01:58,733 long standing complaints about the SAT that it plays into inequities, 25 00:01:58,733 --> 00:02:03,700 especially for girls, students of color and low income students? 26 00:02:06,100 --> 00:02:09,233 NADRA NITTLE: So I've heard some mixed responses from my sources about this topic, there really is 27 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:17,300 nothing necessarily in the test in terms of the questions you would get asked that would make it, 28 00:02:19,433 --> 00:02:23,900 I guess, easier or narrow the gaps for some students in terms of their performance, but some 29 00:02:26,166 --> 00:02:29,133 people think even just by making it shorter, that might help students with learning differences. 30 00:02:31,566 --> 00:02:36,000 Even by making it adaptive, you know, some of my sources think that can make students less anxious, 31 00:02:37,900 --> 00:02:42,433 and that can improve their scores. In terms of gender, race, and you know, 32 00:02:44,433 --> 00:02:48,433 some of the other gaps, we just don't know, my expert sources are waiting to get data, 33 00:02:50,433 --> 00:02:52,466 which they probably won't have enough of until next year to really look at the 34 00:02:52,466 --> 00:02:56,133 subgroups and how subgroups performed on the test. 35 00:02:56,133 --> 00:03:00,100 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So overall, are your sources telling you that this digital 36 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:05,000 tests may give some students a leg up or may be a disadvantage to others? 37 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:09,400 NADRA NITTLE: So some are saying, you know, especially with students for learning differences, 38 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:14,033 just by making it shorter, just by having adaptive, you know, questions, instead of 39 00:03:16,366 --> 00:03:19,266 giving everyone the same questions that that could be helpful. But some of my other sources who have 40 00:03:21,533 --> 00:03:24,433 been long term critics of the SAT don't think this test is really going to do anything different. 41 00:03:26,733 --> 00:03:31,333 They think it's the same test, it's just a little shorter, and now it's digital instead of on paper. 42 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,566 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Disadvantage, low income students may not be 43 00:03:34,566 --> 00:03:38,733 able to afford extracurriculars, or coaching on college essays, 44 00:03:38,733 --> 00:03:43,733 things that could help them overall boost their college admission applications. 45 00:03:43,733 --> 00:03:47,533 And so is there a concern that with making the SAT optional, 46 00:03:47,533 --> 00:03:52,533 which some universities have done that that could hurt those low income students? 47 00:03:54,866 --> 00:03:57,966 NADRA NITTLE: Some of the SAT supporters are arguing that, hey, if a student from an, you know, 48 00:04:00,766 --> 00:04:05,733 socio economically disadvantaged background happens to take the SATs, and does really well on 49 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,533 it, that student might qualify for scholarships. They also might qualify for admission at an 50 00:04:14,666 --> 00:04:19,666 elite institution that maybe just by grades alone, they wouldn't have been admitted to. 51 00:04:21,766 --> 00:04:26,233 So there's an attitude of, you know, why not just take the test, see if you do well on it, 52 00:04:28,333 --> 00:04:32,633 and if you do submit the scores. The other thing is during the pandemic, when the test optional 53 00:04:34,566 --> 00:04:38,200 movement really started to gain ground. A lot of students who were applying to Ivy 54 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:43,200 League institutions and other elite institutions were still turning in their test scores anyway. 55 00:04:44,866 --> 00:04:48,400 So by making it now a requirement again, some of 56 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,700 my sources believe they actually are leveling the playing field. 57 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:56,433 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The SAT as you know, used to be mandatory for first year applications. 58 00:04:56,433 --> 00:05:01,433 That number dropped during the pandemic and now schools are returning to that requirement. And but 59 00:05:03,333 --> 00:05:06,900 others aren't. So, is the SATs still an important part of college admissions? 60 00:05:08,966 --> 00:05:12,866 NADRA NITTLE: I definitely think it's still an important part especially for those, you know, 61 00:05:12,866 --> 00:05:17,866 the top tier students who are really trying to get into the best schools in the country at 62 00:05:19,933 --> 00:05:23,233 the same time. According to one advocacy group called fair test, only 20 percent of colleges 63 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:32,200 are requiring the SAT, so more than 80 percent of colleges and universities still do not have it as 64 00:05:36,133 --> 00:05:41,133 a requirement. It's test optional and they think that the test optional movement is here to stay. 65 00:05:42,933 --> 00:05:46,400 LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Nadra Nittle of the 19th News. Thank you for joining. 66 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:47,800 NADRA NITTLE: Thanks for having me.