Digital SAT

The dSAT is an internationally administered test used in university admissions both in the United States and abroad.

Bespoke has been helping students succeed on the SAT for nearly two decades. In 2023, the College Board began administering the pared down Digital SAT, a new exam for a new era. The dSAT differs from its paper predecessors in many ways – including length, format, and question type. These changes mean students will need to learn new test-taking skills and time-management strategies to perform at their best.

The dSAT tests the same fundamentals of math, reading comprehension, and grammar as its predecessor, but it is administered via the College Board’s Bluebook app on an approved digital device. The test is composed of four modules: two focused on reading and writing, followed by two focused on math. The dSAT is also adaptive, which means that a student’s performance on the first module of each section determines the difficulty of the second module they receive (easier vs. harder). Scoring is still out of 1600 (800 for each subject area), but students receiving the easier second module will face a cap on their maximum score. Finally, students are happy to be taking a much shorter test: its duration is now only 2 hours and 14 minutes!

For the reading and writing modules, the greatest change is passage length. dSAT passages are quite brief and accompanied by a single question, a striking contrast to the SAT’s long passages with question sets. For math, the most important topics remain algebra, graphs on the coordinate plane, geometry, and statistics. Say goodbye to long word problems that test reading comprehension as much as math skills. In the math modules, students now have access to a built-in graphing calculator: Desmos. Students may already be acquainted with this tool since it is free online. Desmos is a powerful helper when graphing coordinate geometry questions, but it can also be used to solve algebra and statistics questions.

Bespoke has been preparing for the big switchover and has been building resources of its own, including digital practice tests. These exams can be taken via our platform, which recreates the Digital SAT experience while establishing baseline scores and measuring improvement over time.

Our comprehensive approach to test prep incorporates individualized tutoring sessions, weekly homework from our proprietary SAT textbook, and frequent mock testing to form a program that is both thorough and tailored to your student’s specific needs. Whether you’re ready to begin tutoring immediately or just have questions about the test, our client services team is looking forward to speaking with you! You’ll talk to a knowledgeable, caring individual who will create a test prep plan and pair you with the perfect tutor for your student’s personality and learning style. Your student will then learn the actionable skills to build confidence and thrive on test day and beyond.

dSAT vs. ACT

Most US colleges give applicants a choice of submitting scores from the dSAT or its counterpart, the ACT. However, it is important to note that, for the moment, only the dSAT tends to be accepted for European admissions. One of the most common questions families have is “Which exam should my child take?” We can help!

The best way to answer this question is to take a practice test of each. Bespoke’s mock testing program makes it easy to take realistic practice exams in our offices or from the comfort of your own home. Our experienced client services team then uses your student’s scores, lived experience of the exams, and learning profile to help you make an informed decision. The ACT will require you to work more quickly, and the dSAT will require you to work more precisely.

FAQs

I’m hearing a lot about “superscoring.” What does that mean? 
Some colleges employ a process called “superscoring,” which can be very beneficial for students. When superscoring, colleges take a student’s highest score for the reading and writing modules and combine it with the student’s highest score for the math modules to arrive at a new “superscore”.

Let’s take an example: A student takes the dSAT in March. They score a 680 on the reading and writing modules and a 750 on the math modules for a total score of 1430. They then take the dSAT again in May. This time, they score a 760 on the reading and writing modules and a 730 on the math modules for a total score of 1490. The student’s superscore would be 1510, the sum of the May reading and writing score and the March math score.

Because of superscoring, we highly recommend students take the SAT at least twice. Check with individual colleges to see if they employ superscoring. 

If students take the dSAT multiple times, do they have to send colleges all of their scores?
Students can choose to use Score Choice^TM, which allows them to send only select test scores to colleges; however, some colleges require applicants to submit all scores received. Check with individual schools to confirm their policies. If a student does not employ Score Choice, their six most recent dSAT scores will be sent.

(Note: If students elect to send dSAT scores from a given test date, they must send all of the subject area scores from that date—i.e., they cannot opt to send their math score but not their reading and writing score. Admissions offices that allow “superscoring” will calculate superscores on their own from all of the scores submitted.)

When is the test offered?
The dSAT is offered multiple times per year. Please visit the College Board website for more information.

When will students receive their scores?
According to the College Board, SAT scores are usually available online 2 to 3 weeks after the exam, although this can vary depending on test date.

What is the difference between the dSAT and the dPSAT?
Like the SAT, the PSAT has gone digital. The dPSAT is generally taken in the fall by high school sophomores and juniors as an opportunity to gain exposure to the types of questions that appear on the dSAT. For juniors, the dPSAT also serves as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship program—a prestigious competition that recognizes high-achieving students for their testing, academic, and extracurricular achievements.

While the dPSAT’s questions are similar in style to those of the dSAT, the dPSAT is slightly shorter and is scored out of 1520 instead of 1600.

Where can I get more information on the dSAT?
For more information on the dSAT, and to register for an upcoming test, please visit the dSAT website.