Each year sophomore and junior students on campus take the PSAT, but Wednesday’s test looked different, with it being entirely online. However, it wasn’t the first time students on campus have taken multiple other assessments online.
“Liberty students are used to taking online tests as they have taken the STAAR EOC assessments online for the last couple of years so they adapted well,” Campus 504 & MTSS Coordinator Ashley Stipe said. “The test was shorter than the paper test and I think students liked taking it online rather than on paper.”
Taking his first PSAT, sophomore Collier Guest wishes he could have had a physical copy of the test rather than the online version.
“I don’t like taking it online, I would rather do it on paper,” Guest said in Real Talk. “I like to be able to have the test and not have to click through it.”
But for College Board, the decision to move the PSAT and SAT to an online format is a result of input from various stakeholders.
“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board Priscilla Rodriquez said in a news release. “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”
One of the differences with the online version of the PSAT is that each student can keep track of their progress.
“I preferred taking the PSAT over the computer because it was easier to keep track of time,” junior Carlie Schroeder said. “I also liked how it told me how many questions I had left on the test and how many I had finished.”
Although students may have mixed feelings among students about the online version of the PSAT, Wednesday’s administration of the test went smoothly.
“The students did wonderfully,” Stipe said. “They followed directions and did well.”
This story has been updated to include information from College Board on why the PSAT and SAT are now offered digitally.
