As many of you probably know by now, the SAT has gone digital. That’s right — the stone ages of analog test taking, scantrons, number two pencils, and scrap paper are over! Or are they? While many students have rejoiced at the digitization of the SAT, others have worried that the new-fangled computer-based test no longer leaves any room for those who take exams best with a pencil and scrap paper in hand. Fortunately, these old-schoolers haven’t been left in the dust.

While it’s true that the New SAT is entirely digital, traces of the old way of doing things still remain. For example, did you know you can still annotate the passages from the Reading and Writing Section? In their list of the “Top Ten Test Taking Tips for the Digital SAT,” The College Board writes: “Leave yourself a note. The Reading and Writing section consists of short passages with just 1 question each. As you’re reading the passage, you can use the annotation tool to highlight the text and leave notes to yourself to help you answer the question.”

Okay, so digital annotation tools are provided. But what about those of us who do our best thinking on the physical page? Fortunately, you are free to bring a pen or pencil to your testing room and a graphing calculator in case you’re worried the graphing calculator built into the test-taking interface won’t suffice. However, note that The College Board won’t let you bring your own scrap paper on the day of your SAT — instead, they’ll provide some for you!

It turns out Corinne Bailey Rae was right! The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same! The same goes for SAT testing accommodations. The stress of getting accommodations for your child is still just as bureaucratic and red-tape-laden as ever, so get the ball rolling as soon as possible to ensure your child can take the test under the right conditions for them. 

The Best SAT Taker is a Prepared SAT Taker

Truth be told, the next generation of SAT takers might not even know whether they do their best work on paper on the screen since screens are all they’ve known! That’s why we at Ivy Coach stress the importance of trying many different strategies and approaches while preparing for the SAT. Perhaps you do your best when you can visualize your word problems and questions on scrap paper. Maybe you’re the kind of test taker who needs to block out the answers to the question and think about your answer first. You’ll never know until you take the time to discover the right strategy.

And, for the record, a strong SAT (or ACT) score is essential for competitive college applicants in 2025. Don’t let the schools that have instated so-called “test-optional” policies make you think otherwise. These schools don’t tell you that the students who apply without submitting test scores are at a total disadvantage. There’s no alternative to a competitive SAT or ACT score, and with elite college acceptance rates dwindling to record lows during recent cycles, it’s more crucial than ever to enter the standardized test process with as much preparation as possible.

How Ivy Coach Gets Students Into Shape for the New Digital SAT

That’s where Ivy Coach’s very own senior tutor, Dr. Fran Bigman, comes in. Dr. Bigman has tutored thousands of kids on the SAT and knows the new digital SAT format like the back of her hand. She will take the time to learn what kind of test taker your child is, even if they don’t yet know themselves! The sooner you approach us, the sooner she can get started with her one-on-one, personalized approach to tutoring to help your child make the most out of their SAT.

To get started, simply fill out our complimentary consultation form and click the box that you are interested in our tutoring services. We’ll then be in touch with an outline of our services.