The PSATs, taken every year by freshmen, sophomores, and juniors throughout the state, had a different look this year. Instead of the usual pencil and paper format, the tests were taken on Chromebooks.
On the day of the test, the students all logged into College Board’s Bluebook app. Each test had its own timer, so every student had equal time. The tests were also programmed with breaks between each section.
This new system kept the tests moving. The proctors had very little to do this year because most of it was online. They still had to pass out the scrap paper and testing information and make sure that each of their students were logged in, but they did not have to stop and start each section.
The PSAT also had a new look, specifically for the English section. The test did not include longer passages for the students to read and analyze throughout multiple questions. Instead, each question was related to an excerpt from a different piece of literature, and varied from student to student. They were asked questions relating to grammar, punctuation and understanding of what they read.
Online tests, though, have several setbacks that paper does not. Internet issues caused several Cherokee classes to not be able to log onto the test for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour for others.
This system worked well, and College Board will use the digital format and Bluebook app for the SAT starting in January 2024.
