This year sophomores and juniors who are taking the PSAT will be switching over to a digital test over the paper test taken in previous years. This was a decision made by College Board, who are attempting to switch to 100% digital tests in all schools.
Counselor Jennifer Kottman said that a difficulty that came with preparing for the PSAT digitally is that students had to complete a readiness session, but many students had difficulties with it.
“I would say that [a challenge] is that some things have to be done on the front end. Prior to testing we had a digital readiness session and some students didn’t have the app and couldn’t go through the readiness session, so it’s just that they need to do that on their own, so that everyone is in the same spot when we get there Thursday morning,” Kottman said.
Kottman said that a contrast from the paper exam is that it’s much shorter, being only a little over two hours long.
“The difference is actually that it is a shorter exam, so it’s 64 minutes for test one with a ten minute break and then 70 minutes for test two, and it used to be a lot longer, it was a three or four hour test,” Kottman said.
Junior Sarah Lauck said she has prepared with digital practice tests and likes how the digital version is more versatile which makes it easier for testing.
“The digital version has shorter paragraphs and it’s adaptive, while the paper one is not. I think overall the digital test is a little bit easier mostly because of the shorter reading section. I think that the cons are that the technology could not function correctly, like during the digital ACT my mouse broke,” Lauck said.
Kottman said that to help with any possible technology issues that could happen during the test, two tables will be set up in the back of the gym that will help accommodate for any problems.
“We have two stations set up in the back of the gym, one is going to be a help station so if you’re having some sort of a technology issue, you can just go straight back there and someone will help you. We’re going to have another table with extra chromebook chargers so if everything is going well it’s just some chromebooks hold a charge better than others,” Kottman said.
