What we learned from the March Digital SAT:
First of all, you aren't crazy: The March Digital SAT was significantly harder for students who received the difficult version than any practice test CollegeBoard has made available.
Second of all, the score reports are not helpful. They link to sample questions that are SIMILAR to the questions you missed, but do not at all reflect the difficulty of those questions or the potential reasons WHY you missed them.
While this does provide some assistance in understanding the general idea of what subjects you need to study, it doesn't help you improve your score overall or avoid the tricks that the CollegeBoard test-makers use to trip you up.
CollegeBoard has promised to provide two new tests by the end of this year, and hopefully by the end of 2025 we will have a full roster of practice tests that accurately reflect the actual testing experience.
But most of us don't have that long to wait. So what do we do in the meantime?
How To Know Which Digital SAT Version You Got:
This question is quite simple for the March SAT: Did the second section feel unreasonably difficult toward the end? You probably got the harder version.
Many students who scored in the respectable 1100-1400 range may have done very well on the easier version or skipped the hard questions on the harder version, so you may have had a testing experience that was more similar to the practice tests.
However, students who were trying to score between 1400 and 1600 likely attempted some extremely difficult questions that they were not expecting.
Before we get into more details, remember that anything above the 50th percentile can be a useful score, especially if it is on the higher end of the scores at your particular high school. What matters in admissions now is not an absolute score but a relative score in comparison to your local classmates.
If you're satisfied with your score, even if it's not quite as high as you had planned, you can submit it and still be very successful moving forward.
However, if you'd like to take the test again, here are some things to prepare for in advance to ensure your next testing experience maximizes your skills and potential.
If you encountered technical issues:
Remember, the Bluebook app frequently needs updates and will do so automatically, even if you're about to start your test. There is no way to skip these updates or speed them up, so we strongly recommend that students open the app right before they go to bed, NIGHT BEFORE, to check that the app is fully up to date and deal with any permissions in advance.
Additionally, students should have their College Board login details written down on a piece of paper (not on the phone notes app, as phones are not allowed). Remember, the Bluebook app DOES NOT REMEMBER YOUR LOGIN INFORMATION.
If your app stops working and you need official help restarting it, your proctor will need to call 888-SAT-HELP so that they can restart your test. If you try this multiple times and the problem persists, you must request a makeup test.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE: MAKE SURE YOUR PROCTOR SUBMITS AN INCIDENT REPORT. This vastly increases your chances of College Board seeing your case and providing you with a free re-take.
Immediately after getting home, while the information is still fresh, submit an inquiry in the SAT Contact Form under the topic "Test Date Issue/Complaint." Otherwise, you have four weekdays to submit a complaint. International students should use this form instead.
If you follow these two steps, you should receive an email from CollegeBoard giving you the option of a free makeup test. However, this may be dependent on the hosting site's ability to provide the space and staff for the re-take. If they are unable to provide it, you can petition to get a discount on your next exam instead.
If the English section didn't go well:
The English section is split into two halves: The reading and writing sections.
If you made more mistakes in the first half of an English section, then you want to work on reading–analyzing poems, identifying the main point of a paragraph, and choosing the best evidence to support or refute a claim.
If you're having trouble with the SAT's analysis, and none of the answers feel right, eliminate answers based on whether they are factually true (according to the passage) first. This should get you to at least a 50/50 shot at a correct answer. Then remind yourself of what the question is actually asking: For example, Does it need a specific detail or a big picture summary?
If you made more mistakes in the second half, then you want to work on writing–grammar questions like word choice and punctuation and synthesis questions that ask you to summarize a collection of bullet points.
Unfortunately, grammar questions are just going to take some rote memorization, but there are lots of resources to help you practice! The number one thing to look out for are the tricks that the SAT will put into the test that they know will trip students up, particularly related to pronouns and commas.
Remember, the questions are listed from easiest to hardest within each question type, so the first question of each type should be a breeze. Take the test out of order and save the harder questions for later once you know you've locked in a few points.
If the Math section didn't go well:
The math section is written in ascending order from easiest to hardest (according to CollegeBoard's standards), so pay attention to where you made the most mistakes.
After question 10 on the harder version of the test, the SAT now ramps up the difficulty very quickly beyond what students have access to for the practice tests. This is to ensure that the long testing time and Desmos calculator do not give too many students perfect scores. They are trying to make the top scores as exclusive as possible. As a result, the end of the hard version is VERY HARD.
If you missed more toward the end, you likely need a refresher on Algebra II concepts like quadratics, functions, systems of equations, and trigonometry. You may also want to practice more of the strange "translation"- style questions that ask you to interpret in words what parts of an equation mean, or, at the very least, practice explaining equations out loud to someone who doesn't know the context of the problem.
It's also possible you ran out of time. In this case, practice marking questions for later if you can't figure out where to start in the first 30 seconds. You can come back to those questions later with fresh eyes for a better shot at points.
If you missed more toward the beginning, you're either making careless errors because you missed the phrasing of the question, or you've forgotten some of the math you learned three years ago (or both). Freshen up on proportions, probability, and percents, and do some practice questions where you double check what the question is actually asking for.
Another way to avoid making careless errors is actually to slow down. Now that you know how hard the hard questions are, maybe they aren't all worth your time! Plan to cut a couple of questions out of the end and instead give yourself a full minute on the more straightforward questions to be sure you're not missing anything.
And remember, one lucky guess on a hard question can earn you up to 30 points, so make sure you fill in every answer as well as you can, even if you just guess B and move on!
Want More Help?
If you'd like to learn more about how to move forward with the Digital SAT (and whether it is right for you), sign up for one of our free webinars here.
If you'd like to do an online, self-guided test-prep course to help you get more familiar with the content and platform of the Digital SAT, learn more about our courses here.