The tedious task of filling in multiple choice bubbles, bring one too many #2 pencils because “just in case”, and sitting in an overcrowded classroom for hours attempting to complete a paper booklet. Although for most students this is not the first time taking the PSAT, this year there are a few changes to the test. The most prominent alteration is that the test is now digital. According to the College Board, the non-profit organization that administers standardized tests, “The PSAT is being offered digitally in fall 2023 so that students who will be taking the SAT in the spring of 2024 have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the digital testing experience”. 

Digital tests allow unique material for each test taker, minimizes the ability to cheat, produces results quickly, and has shortened the test by an hour. “It was a new experience but I liked the organization and accessibility of the test this year,” said Olivia Dixon, a Junior at Mayfield Senior.  

Another unique feature is that the test is adaptable. 

Here’s how it works: the results of the first module of the test determine the questions in the second module. If you do well on the first module, called “routing module,” the test will send you to a more difficult second module. This allows the length of the test to be shorter while also allowing students more time per question.

The digital test also makes it easier for the test proctors. “For those of us administering the test, it is a blessing to not have boxes of testing materials that need to be secured before the test and mailed back after the test,” said Lynn Maloney, Mayfield’s college counselor and organizer of the PSAT.

There are some disadvantages to this new testing experience. The main concern many students and teachers have is the test’s reliance on internet connection. Taking these standardized tests in a large group of people opens up the possibility of the internet crashing. 

Specifically, the East Coast encountered difficulties. A student in the DC area reported, on the website “DC Urban Moms and Dads”, that “At my school staff are being notified that due to College Board online issues, the online PSAT has been canceled for today and will be rescheduled. We are told it is a nationwide issue.” Here at Mayfield there were minimal issues concerning technology with only a few students experiencing momentary delays.

Staring at a screen for the two+  hours it takes for the exam presents another issue. The American Optometric Association reports that “Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing digital screens for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of digital screen use.” The timed test schedule doesn’t allow you to follow the AOA’s suggested 20-20-20 rule which dictates that you should take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. 

These changes, whether a positive or negative endeavor, are implemented at a time where standardized tests are becoming less important. According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, “More than 1,900 schools will not require applicants to submit scores for fall 2024 admission.”

With standardized tests, digital or on paper, no longer determining factors of college admissions, it remains to be seen whether the College Board’s changes will revive the importance of standardized tests, further propel the disintegration of such testing.