The College Board has drastically reduced the length of reading passages on the digital SAT—from 500–750 words to just 25–150 words—similar to a social media post. The move comes as part of a 2024 overhaul that made the test shorter, adaptive, and fully digital, designed to give students more time per question.
Under the new model, each short passage contains only one question. The College Board asserts this format is “more efficient” for the adaptive test, delivering tailored difficulty based on student responses. Early adopters of the digital SAT—international test-takers since March 2023 and U.S. students since March 2024—report it’s shorter (2h14min vs. 3h) and offers built-in tools like a calculator.
Critics argue these changes amount to “dumbing down” the SAT. A notable New York Post columnist warns that eliminating longer passages removes tougher questions, creating a ceiling effect that blurs distinctions among top-performing students.
Supporters say the changes improve fairness and accessibility, especially for students with test anxiety or shorter attention spans. However, independent analysis shows a significant drop in math difficulty over recent years, raising questions about academic rigor .
The College Board maintains the updates reflect modern testing needs, but the shift highlights tensions between efficiency, equity, and maintaining a rigorous academic measuring stick for college admissions.
