On April 9, the juniors at Baruch College Campus High School took the digital SAT–CollegeBoards new online adaptive SAT test–as a school. Here’s what the students said about it.

Many students said that the SAT was fine, but the math section was especially challenging. 

“[The SAT] was alright,” Tina Wu, “The second module for math [was hard], especially the last two questions.”

Jaela Antonio also said the math section was difficult, although one bit in particular stumped her.

“It was okay, but the math part was really hard,” Antonio said. “Mostly all of the Algebra that was asking about statistics [was hard]. I’m realizing I can’t do math.”

Sheyla Saenz said it was so bad for her she was unable to finish the math section.

“I think the SAT was okay. I didn’t get to finish four questions on the second module for the math; that math was so hard,” Saenz said. “Everything else I think I did decent in, I think I did okay.” 

Isabella Galeano said the math questions were seemingly unpredictable, with some “questions for math [being] either really easy or really hard.”

Leanne Restrepo said the English section seemed fine, but the math was harder. 

“I thought English was not that bad, but for math–it’s not my strong suit,” Restrepo said. “The first [math] module was easy; but the second module had more complexity so I wouldn’t say I did so well with math.”

Restrepo said the Geometry specifically tripped her up.

Esmaeel Fadel said he recognized that many students tripped over the math, but he thinks he did okay.

“It went well, but I feel like the second math module screwed up a lot of people, and I don’t think a lot of people finished–but I did, that’s for sure,” Fadel said. “The math, even though you had a lot more time and a lot less questions, you don’t take that time for granted.”

Many students also thought the English was difficult as well. Some students said they struggled with grammar, while others said they struggled with the long passages.

Galeano said she “ran out of time on the first module for English,” and didn’t feel good about the section in general.

Students also said the passages were very time consuming.

“The English in itself was just boring; you had to stay focused or you would just have to reread the entire passage all over again–it was just a waste of time,” Fadel said. 

Saenz agreed, saying that “the passages took too much time, especially with the charts.”

How did students prepare for this exam? While teachers Simon Lu–the precalculus and calculus teacher–and John Downes-Angus–the AP English Language and Composition and English 12 teacher–provided resources to study, many students said they didn’t do much to prepare.

Galeano said she “started studying two days before” the SAT, and she thinks she “honestly did horrible.”

Antonio said she “started studying the day before” and “didn’t really do anything.” She said she “only made a Khan Academy account, that was it.”

Others say they got lazy, but made some effort to prepare.

“I didn’t really study, I got too lazy and procrastinated for it,” Saenz said. “I just used the SAT prep from Mr. Lu, and for English, I watched a YouTube video. I didn’t even take a practice test.”

Many other students said they used a variety of tools to help them study.

“I would go to Mr. Lu’s every Friday, and when I got near to the exam–a month or two–I would try to take full length practice exams and I would see progress which I was proud of,” Camila Cedeno said.

Wu also said she did practice tests, and she also watched YouTube videos to study for the SAT. 

Fadel said he relied on his teachers Lu and Downes-Angus to help him prepare for the exam.

Some students say they were unable to study, and so they plan on retaking it later on so they have more time.

“I didn’t really get to study, but I’m gonna do a retake in June and I’m gonna study for that,” Rihanna Whyte said. “I’m gonna use an [SAT] book.”

Other students studied but still did not feel good about the test.

Anna Rubin said she worries her “score wouldn’t be sufficient for colleges” even though she studied.

Overall, many students say they plan on retaking the test in hopes for a better score because they do not think their performance was the strongest.

“It looks like I’m gonna go back in July because I don’t feel like I performed my strongest,” Cedeno said.

Restrepo agreed, and said she has “been doing tutoring since December for [the DSAT]” and is “definitely gonna take it multiple times” because she doesn’t think she did her best.

“The SAT is just hard in general,” Restrepo said.