Understanding the Digital PSAT: Everything High School Sophomores and Juniors Should Know

Now more than ever, the PSAT plays a crucial role in preparing high schoolers for the SAT. As both tests transition to a digital format this fall and next spring, it's important for students to get an overview of the digital PSAT's nuances to prepare effectively for it as well as future standardized tests.

In this article, we'll explore the digital PSAT format, its significance, and why understanding this digital adaptation is vital for success. 

What’s Changing on the Digital PSAT 

At first glance, the test structure for the digital version of the PSAT looks quite different from its former paper form. Everything from the timing to the way students answer questions and interact with test content has changed. 

Below are the key differences that students should expect to see on the digital version this October.

• No more paper. The digital PSAT will be taken on a laptop or tablet.

• Students will need to download an online testing app before their test day. The app will give them access to a series of tools like a calculator, an annotator, and a timer, among other things.

• Laptops will need to be fully charged before test day. Not all students will have access to power during the test, so showing up fully prepared is essential. You can read more about device requirements here.

• There are only two sections - a Reading & Writing section and a Math section.

• The Reading and Writing sections have now been combined into one section, which gives students more time per question. Reading sections are also much shorter than they used to be.

• Students can now use a calculator on the entire Math section

• Emphasis on certain topics has shifted.

• The Reading & Writing section is stepping away from a few question types and embracing others – say goodbye to questions about combining sentences and say hello to a lot more punctuation problems.

• There is an entirely new Reading & Writing question type, which will ask students about the best way to organize a sentence based off of a set of hypothetical student notes.

• The test is shorter.

• The digital PSAT is only about two hours long - that’s a full hour shorter than the paper version!

• The PSAT is section-level adaptive.

• Each section (Reading & Writing and Math) is broken down into two modules. Depending on how a student does on the first module, they will be given either a harder or easier second module.

• Students receiving the harder second module will have access to a higher score range, so if a student wants to really boost their score, they need to do well enough on the first module to qualify for the second, more difficult module. (This occurs for each section independently, so it’s possible to receive the harder second module for Reading & Writing, but not for Math.)

What’s Staying the Same 

Not everything is changing from the paper version, however. Questions will deal with similar content, scores will still be out of 1600, and questions will be multiple-choice (except for a few Math questions, which will be entered manually into the app, similar to grid-ins on the current paper test).

All told, the changes to the PSAT will benefit most students. The testing app ensures a streamlined test experience, the shorter timeframe is easier to handle, and the adaptive modules ensure that each student will be thoroughly challenged without being overwhelmed. 

One student who excels on the first Math module, for instance, will be given harder problems to work through on the second module. Similarly, another student who may have struggled with the first module will be given an easier second module – this is the PSAT’s best attempt to have every student tackle a challenge that’s appropriate for their individual skill level. 

Next Steps

Now that you have a better understanding of what the digital PSAT will look like, you might be wondering how students should prepare for it. Resources like online practice tests, digital study materials, and online PSAT tutoring are all critical avenues to success, but navigating through what’s useful and what’s not can be a challenge. We’ve got you covered! Check out this blog post for our advice on the most essential tools and resources for preparing for the digital SAT, all of which apply to the digital PSAT as well. 

And if you need some more specialized advice, reach out to our team to get connected to an expert tutor.