June 14th, 2022

Upcoming changes to the SAT in Spring 2024
Typically taken as a Sophomore to Senior in High School (Grade 10-12), "The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admission decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board." 

As SAT's makeover approaches in Spring 2024, the biggest changes can be pointed at it becoming an online-only test with minor changes to each section: In the SAT Critical Reading section, the number of questions per passage will be reduced, while the entire SAT Math section will be calculator-allowed. The test overall will be shortened to 2 hours long compared to its current duration of 3 hours. 

Is SAT still relevant for college admissions?
The answer is that it depends. The decision to be made will be based on your target colleges.  Though UCs and Cal State Universities (CSU) do not look at these scores anymore, the SAT Score will still be of interest to students aiming for top colleges. For incoming Sophomores in the 2022-2023 School Year thinking about applying for SAT-required colleges, there will be one and a half more years to take the test. So up until the end of 2024, the SAT will remain the same, though they have the opportunity to take the new SAT at the end of the year. 

Students who decide to apply only to UCs and CSUs will technically not need to take the SAT since these colleges are "test-blind schools", or schools that do not include the submission of SAT/ACT scores in their application. See the announcement here directly on the UC or CSU webpage.


Should I prepare for the SAT?
There is one angle in which SATs are still relevant to students applying to test-blind colleges. Preparing for the SAT naturally prepares students for the PSAT/NMSQT test, taken in the 10th-11th grade for the opportunity to earn the National Merit Scholarship. Though the scholarship may immediately be seen as a financial reward, it is often times seen as a huge plus for college applications, including UC and CSU Universities. Nonetheless, the National Merit Scholarship is often times rewarded to competent test-takers who prepare in advance.

For more details about your specific situation, we are offering a free 30-minute College Consulting for high school students. We are happy to announce that we are able to meet in person now, though if more convenient, we offer online sessions too.


What kind of services do you provide?
For students Grade 3-12, we provide in-person & online tutoring and small group, including Common Core, AP, and standardized-test subjects. For high school students, we offer college planning. Get prepared now. See our programs in detail here. To register, click here.