In March of 2023, the SAT followed other standardized tests like the LSAT and MCAT to transition to fully digital testing. Offering a shorter test with more time per question, many cried against this transition. While many were concerned the DSAT (Digital SAT) would be too easy and thus be a bad indicator of college readiness, many detested the transition, calling it harder. One Reddit user said, “DSAT timing is literally impossible, a lot of people here just don’t know.” Another said, “I just can’t focus when I’m taking a test on a screen.” 28 AP (Advanced Placement) exams, another test CollegeBoard offers, are going digital for the first time this year. However, the SAT’s main competitor, the ACT, continues to offer both paper and digital testing. This option is a main selling point of the ACT, but it raises the question: Is digital testing really better for students, or is it just another way companies can increase their profit? 

When CollegeBoard first proctored the DSAT, they claimed 84% of students and 99% of staff reported a better experience with the DSAT than the paper SAT. However, this statistic may have participation or framing bias. There are several issues that digital testing may present. 

1. Computers must have wifi to connect. While wifi is only required for a short time, to start and end the exams, roughly 5% of American schools don’t have access to the internet
2. Programs like Bluebook and ACT Gateway can often have issues. These issues may include students’ tests auto-submitting, students getting kicked out, or students being unable to start. These issues are not all too rare, happening statewide or nationwide on dates like the March 2025 SAT, the April 2025 ACT, or the 2023 AP Literature exams. When I took the Digital ACT in October 2024, the program was stuck loading. Students across the nation were unable to start the exam. This issue persisted for two hours, with students leaving the testing center between 1 pm to 2 pm. During the March 2025 SAT, students’ tests were automatically submitted by accident, causing people to have less time.
3. There can also be some disparity with different computers. Some laptops may be faster or have better quality screens. The latter is important for reading sections on various exams. When the screen quality is poor, for example, on a Chromebook, it can be more difficult to read the words. It’s like reading without glasses.
4. Computers with low battery lives are at risk of dying during an exam. With some tests being as long as three hours, with some AP testers having two exams in a day, there’s a likely chance that many laptops will run out of battery. While students could bring their chargers or a battery, they may lose time because these programs don’t pause your time
5. Many students struggle to pay attention to digital tests. Some may experience eye strain, screen fatigue, or lack of concentration. Research has shown that students taking digital exams often perform worse compared to their paper counterparts. This may be because of the aforementioned reasons or because students are not used to digital testing.

However, there are benefits to digital testing. With practically every standardized test offering digital exams, there are reasons for this switch

1. With mass cheating scandals during the 2024 AP Exam season, one of the College Board’s main reasons to switch to digital AP exams is for security. Since the exams are sent directly to the College Board, the risk of tampering with the exams is minimized. This also prevents students’ tests from getting lost, a prevalent problem that causes many students to lose their scores. This gives greater accessibility to international students who would have to send paper exams internationally to the US.
2. Less paper is used. With over five million AP exams taken each year alone, the environmental impact of this expanse of paper is significant. This also decreases the cost of proctoring exams. Companies don’t have to print and send out thousands or millions of exams. Rather, students just download and send of their exams from their computer
3. Digital exams allow exams to get graded faster. This is especially true for multiple-choice exams like the SAT and ACT. Paper exams can get backed up in shipping, lost, or damaged, causing students to get their tests back later. Digital exams, however, are able to be graded automatically.
4. Digital exams create a more standardized environment. All students are given the exact amount of time they’re given, all components of the exam are on the student’s computer, and instructions are consistent. These can be problems for standardization, especially for proctors with little experience.
5. For many students, typing is faster than writing. This allows students to convey more of their ideas faster.

When asked which exam format was better, sophomore Jessica Luo said that “It really depends which class. For classes that need you to write out answers like essays should be online, but math and science should be on paper.” There are several benefits to typing essays. Primarily, a faster typing speed and being able to go back to insert more information in your essays. However, students may benefit from seeing math and sciences on paper so they can write out their thought process, which can help many break down problems. Sophomore Kye Hall said, “I think for me it’s in general better online. However, digital testing can be a bit classist as there are many people without computers and lack strong typing skills.” Many students don’t grow up around a lot of technology, like computers. However, many students in places like the US or Europe grow up with typing classes or computers from a young age.

I believe that while digital testing may not be optimal for everyone, there are obvious benefits, not just to the students and companies, but also to the environment. The best way to have the best of both worlds is to give students an option. The ACT, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and soon to be IB exams all have the option for both digital and paper testing. With an increasing number of companies switching to solely digital exams, including IB exams in the 2030s, standardized paper tests may soon be a thing of the past. Students will eventually be asking, “You guys took exams on paper?”

References

Author links open overlay panelBen Backes 1, 1, AbstractNearly two dozen states now administer online exams to deliver testing to K-12 students. These tests have real consequences: their results feed into accountability systems, Backes, B., Black, S. E., Brown, E., Brown, T., Cascio, E. U., Clariana, R., Crump, R. K., Davis, L. L., Duque, M., Farmer, B., Firpo, S., Frolich, M., Goldhaber, D., Hanushek, E. A., Lipsey, M. W., & Liu, J. (2018, December 14). Is the pen mightier than the keyboard? The effect of online testing on measured student achievement. Economics of Education Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272775718305119?dgcid=raven_sd_via_email 

Noor Behbehani, F., Mohammadi, A., & Aminazadeh, M. (2022). A systematic review of research on cheating in online exams from 2010 to 2021. Education and information technologies. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8898996/