On March 9, 2024, the first digital SATs were administered. This marked Pennsylvania’s standardized tests’ shift from paper to digital exams. The move to digitize Pennsylvania’s SATs and Keystones is not just a technological change, it’s a positive step forward that helps accessibility, efficiency, and accuracy. We shifted forward with the intent to modernize, save money and make tests more accessible. With the shift of most school tests and assignments to online platforms, this is a necessary step for the SATs and Keystones.
“I think it makes the scores come back quicker and like make it more efficient,” junior Camryn Anderson said. “I think it makes it a lot faster and not as many things to keep track of. It’s, like, all in one place and it’s just a little bit more contained.”
Digital tests have the capability to assist students with disabilities. They offer accessibility features such as line readers, text-to-speech and adjusting font sizes. Tools like these alleviate reading stress, allowing students to focus on understanding the material rather than reading the words as fast as possible. This helps make sure that all students have a fair opportunity to show their knowledge, regardless of their individual challenges.
Digital testing also simplifies the entire assessment process, from administration to grading. Automated scoring systems reduce the risk of random error and release the scores much faster. Instead of waiting weeks for scores, students could receive them within days, moving the process of identifying areas that need improvement much faster. This feedback allows educators to adjust their instruction to meet students’ specific needs, leading to more effective learning.
“It makes everything more convenient, I think, for testers and for teachers just to not have to do everything on paper. And also it saves me from having like hand cramps and like all the written response stuff,” sophomore Anna Christopher said, “It’s so much easier and faster to type out, which is nice.”
The shift to digital testing offers a great opportunity to reduce school carbon footprints as well. The amount of paper consumed by statewide testing each year is about 86 million pages. Digitization of these tests decreases this impact by reducing overall paper waste. Schools also benefit from reduced printing and storage costs and can use that money to help with other resources in the classroom.
Digital testing also improves the accuracy of results by eliminating common errors with traditional paper tests. Students don’t have to worry about accidentally bubbling an answer incorrectly or making stray marks that could be misinterpreted by scoring machines.
“[The SATs are] little bit less stressful for me [because] I know I can just, like, open my computer and go through the answers and not worry about filling in the bubbles correctly or anything,” senior Bri Dzyak said. “I think it’s nice that we don’t have to worry about getting the physical materials to people.”
The move to digitize Pennsylvania’s SATs and Keystones is a bold and forward-thinking initiative that promises to enhance accessibility, improve efficiency, and prepare our students for a digital future. By embracing this change and addressing the challenges that may arise, we can create a more equitable and effective educational system for all students in Pennsylvania.