The Score, Issue #25: Making Sense of the New Digital SAT Score Report
Confused by your dSAT score report? This "cheat sheet" is your guide to deciphering College Board question types for targeted practice and score improvement!
Greetings, Quiz Hackers, and welcome to another issue of my free monthly newsletter, The Score!
Last April, in Issue #3 of The Score, I discussed the lack of scoring transparency on the digital SAT (dSAT). Notably, with the introduction of the dSAT, the College Board is no longer offering the detailed performance data previously provided by the now-discontinued Question and Answer Service (QAS).
The QAS allowed students to review every question (including passages) on their paper SAT. However, for the dSAT, the only type of feedback offered by the College Board will be score reports. These reports lack detail, offering only broad, vaguely named categories that make it challenging to pinpoint exactly which areas need improvement. Due to these limitations, the College Board’s score reports are inadequate for test prep purposes.
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To address this challenge, I’ve put together a dSAT score report "cheat sheet." This guide lists the specific question types that fall under the ambiguous designations on dSAT score reports, providing clearer direction for practice. (Note: the cheat sheet currently covers dSAT Reading & Writing Section question types only, not math.)
While it cannot replicate the precise insights provided by the discontinued QAS, the cheat sheet is designed to give test prep students, parents, and tutors a clearer understanding of dSAT performance. It helps bridge the gap between the limited feedback provided by dSAT score reports and the targeted preparation needed to excel on the digital SAT Reading and Writing section.
For more information on these question types, including strategies and drills, consider becoming a premium subscriber. This will provide you with full access to my complete archive of SAT and ACT test prep resources. You’ll also receive all new materials directly in your inbox, plus gain the ability to post comments and questions. If you want to take a premium subscription for a test run before you buy, register for a free 7-day trial.
Quiz Hacker’s dSAT Score Report Cheat Sheet
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the broad question types listed on dSAT score reports. This “cheat sheet” aims to assist you in offering specific feedback and guidance to students who have already taken the digital SAT and are seeking to improve their scores.
For more detailed information on the CB’s question types, refer to the official CB material, available here.
CB dSAT Score Report Question Type: Information & Ideas
This question type covers the following skill areas:
Main Idea (of passage)
Illustrating Claims: Fundamentally the same as Supporting Claim. The only difference is that the type of support is an illustration or example.
Supporting Claims, Infographic: Fundamentally identical to Supporting Claims. The only difference is that support is derived from graphs, tables, or diagrams.
Takeaway: Improving in "Information & Ideas" involves learning the strategies for the three main types of Command of Evidence questions (linked above). After learning the strategies, practice applying them with Quiz Hacker’s expertly-crafted Command of Evidence drills.
CB dSAT Score Report Question Type: Craft & Structure
This question type covers the following skill areas:
Sentence Function (rare)
Passage Structure (rare)
Cross-Text Questions (rare): Typically involves comparing ideas between two short passages.
Takeaway: Strengthening vocabulary knowledge is key for enhancing performance in the "Craft & Structure" category. After studying the strategy articles linked above, gain practice by doing Vocabulary in Context drills and Sentence Function drills.
CB dSAT Score Report Question Type: Expression of Ideas
This question type covers the following skill areas:
"Notes" Questions: Easily tackled with one simple strategy.
Takeaway: To improve in "Expression of Ideas," learn the strategies for Transition Questions (link above) and Notes Questions (strategy article coming soon). Then, practice those strategies with Quiz Hacker’s realistic Transition Question drills and Notes Question drills (coming soon).
CB dSAT Question Type: Standard English Conventions
This question type covers the following skill areas:
Grammar and Punctuation (roughly speaking)
Note: Unfortunately, from the limited information in the score report, it's not feasible to pinpoint specific problem areas for this question type. However, if your student’s score is low in this area, I recommend reviewing the following:
SAT Punctuation Strategies and Drills
SAT Comma Strategies and Drills
SAT Subject-Verb Agreement Strategies and Drills
I hope you find this cheat sheet to be a valuable addition to your test prep toolkit. In a testing environment that's constantly evolving, my goal is to provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to guide your students or children toward achieving their best scores.
The journey to mastering the dSAT is a multi-pronged effort that involves effective strategies, deliberate practice, and informed feedback. I encourage tutors, parents, and students to utilize this cheat sheet alongside official practice materials, trusting that it will enhance confidence and strategic preparedness for the digital SAT.
~ Dave
P.S. - If you found this article helpful, please consider becoming a premium subscriber. Your support enables me to continue devoting my time and energy to sharing the insights I’ve gained over more than a decade as a private test prep tutor.