速報揭密! 聽說8月Digital SAT比較難，讓AEI Digital SAT 團隊來解密!

近期不少同學之間流傳著一個小道消息：8 月的 Digital SAT 普遍比以往更難。這是真的嗎？作為考生，又該如何看待這場考試？AEI Digital SAT 團隊第一時間為大家帶來分析，讓學生與家長更清楚了解 8 月 SAT 的考題特點與難度。

 

英文科目難度解析

這次的英文難度大致落在中間值，與 AEI 團隊事前預測的題型分布高達 98.14% 符合。從長期觀察來看，學生可以預期模組一的題目組成大致為：

• 4題 Vocabulary Questions
• 3題 Structure & Purpose Questions
• 1題 Main Idea Question
• 1 – 2題 Detail Question
• 1 – 2 題 Chart Questions
• 1 – 2題 Logical Completions
• 4題 文法大總匯 (Boundaries, Verbs, Pronouns, Modification各一輪)
• 2-4 題 Boundaries/Verbs
• 2題 Transitions
• 3題 Rhetorical Synthesis

8 月考試重點總結

1. Vocabulary（字彙）
   這次考題沒有出現過於艱澀的單字，僅有像 attrition,proponent 這樣的詞稍具挑戰性。與上次的 fecundity 相比，難度相對降低。值得注意的是，本次除了單字填空外，選項中還出現了詞組，例如 Proponents of or Arguments against，這對於解題習慣只鎖定單字的學生可能是一個新挑戰。
2. 圖表題
   模組一的圖表難度明顯下降，幾乎是直接閱讀資訊即可作答。例如某題提供三個觀測站的物種數量，問題為：「However, 47 was not the lowest number.」考生只需找到圖表中數量小於 47 的物種即可。
3. 出現文本
   本次閱讀中出現了莎士比亞《Richard III》與《綠野仙蹤》。對於不熟悉莎士比亞的學生而言，確實會有難度；而《綠野仙蹤》的題目則較為直觀。

 

精選題目重現:

1. 來看一道 8 月 Digital SAT 的 Transition 題：

“Biographers had a hard time collecting information before the 19th century because of a lack of written documents. ___________ the case for Samuel Johnson’s biographer, who could refer to … which had 26 volumes and 19,000 pages.”

選項大致如下：
(A) On the same premise
(B) On the other end of the spectrum
(C) …
(D) …

這題的關鍵在於：Samuel Johnson 的傳記作者 並沒有遇到前述的困難，因為他有大量資料可參考，所以正確答案必須能呈現「對比／例外」的邏輯。

 

2. Chart Questions:

表格提供尼泊爾境內高山的山頂高度與其所屬山脈的平均高度。題目是：
“Hikers deem mountains to be taller by comparing it to its surroundings, instead of its actual height. Which of the following options uses data from the chart most effectively to illustrate this claim?”

解題關鍵

這題的核心在於考生要能理解：題目不是單純在找「最高的山」，而是要找到 「山峰與周圍山脈高度差距最大」 的例子。換句話說，必須快速比對 山頂高度 vs. 山脈平均高度，才能抓出正確的對比數據。

👀AEI 的觀察👀

這類圖表題其實不只是考數字，而是考「能不能在時間壓力下抓到題目的核心」。對平常訓練有素的學生來說，這道題目等於是檢驗 閱讀＋邏輯判斷＋資料比對 的綜合能力。

 

3. Chart Questions:

另一道圖表題涉及生物學研究，題幹說明：

研究者觀察花卉在 20 天內的變化，數據包含：

• 總花數
• 雄花授粉成功率
• 雄花比例

背景說明是：花卉會調整雄花／雌花比例來避免自花授粉。但題目指出：研究者發現數據並未支持這個假說，並要求學生從圖表中找到能支撐這個結論的證據。

解題關鍵

這題的重點在於：不是找出支持假說的數據，而是要找出反例。考生必須觀察到：

• 若假說正確，雄花比例應該隨授粉成功率的變化而調整。
• 但數據顯示，即便授粉成功率改變，雄花比例仍然沒有顯著符合該趨勢。

因此，正確的選項應該是直接指出「雄花比例與授粉成功率之間缺乏對應關係」。

 

4. Literal Comprehension: Richard III

在 8 月 Digital SAT 中，閱讀題也出現了莎士比亞的 Richard III。其中一段文字如下：

“I do the wrong and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
Clarence, who I indeed have cast in darkness,
I do beweep to many simple gulls,
Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham.”

題目詢問考生：文中發生了什麼事情？

解題關鍵

這裡的重點是 Richard 在描述自己的計謀：

• 他自己先製造問題與衝突；
• 然後把責任推卸到別人身上；
• 甚至假裝為 Clarence 感到悲傷，欺騙像 Derby、Hastings、Buckingham 這樣的人。

換句話說，這段的核心意思是 「Richard 一邊策劃陰謀，一邊假裝無辜，並成功欺騙旁人」。

👀AEI 的觀察👀

莎士比亞的文本是典型的 高層次閱讀挑戰：它檢驗的不只是詞彙力，更是學生對語境、語氣、修辭的整體掌握。這也再次凸顯平時廣泛閱讀的重要性，否則在考場上容易覺得「字不難，卻完全看不懂」。

 

5. Textual Evidence:

在 8 月 SAT 的閱讀部分，還出現了《綠野仙蹤》的片段。題目要求考生：

根據文章內容，哪一句最能支持 Dorothy 的叔叔家十分偏遠、孤立的這個觀點？

正確答案

“When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions.”

這句文字直接突顯了 Dorothy 家的環境：放眼望去只有一望無際的灰色大草原，沒有樹木、沒有房屋，直到天邊都是空曠無邊，正好印證了「偏遠孤立」這個觀點。

考點分析

Textual Evidence 題型看似簡單，因為題目明確告訴你要找「哪一句話」；但難點在於：

• 選項往往都和題目有一點關聯，需要學生精準判斷哪一句「最直接、最有效」支持題幹的主張。
• 若閱讀時抓不到文章的主旨或語境，很容易被干擾選項吸引。

👀AEI 的觀察👀

這類題目提醒我們，閱讀不是單純理解，而是要精準找出證據。對學生來說，如果平時在閱讀中能訓練自己「習慣回到文本找依據」，那麼面對這類題目就能更快找到正確答案。

 

6. Logical Completions: Sea Otters

The question was along the lines of: Some sea otters use tools to open shellfish, which are more nutritious. Sea otters that don’t use tools eat snails or soft-shelled creatures that are lower in nutritional value. Sea otters that use tools avoid teeth damage. Therefore, _________

Which choice most logically completes the text?

(A) sea otters that don’t use tools are healthier

(B) sea otters that don’t use tools need to hunt more to get the same nutrition

(C) sea otters that don’t use tools are more likely to have tooth damage

(D) sea otters who have tooth damage hunt snails

👀AEI 的觀察👀

這一題有一些distractors, 如nutrition, tooth damage等。學生平常訓練時要特別注意：讀清楚最後一個邏輯線索，才能快速刪掉不相關或過度延伸的選項。

 

7. Dual Texts:

在 Dual Texts 題型中，本次考試出現了兩首短詩，題目要求學生比較作者如何看待「月亮」。

• Text 1：作者將月亮描繪為遙遠、難以觸及。
• Text 2：作者則將月亮視為親近、貼近自身的存在。

這類題目難在必須同時讀懂兩篇短文本，並且抓到作者的「態度差異」，而不是只關注字面意義。對學生來說，比較視角and語氣轉換是拿分的關鍵。

 

8. Boundaries:

另一題 Boundaries 出現在文法部分：

題幹給出一句話，當中包含一個 italicized work title（斜體書名）。問題在於，該書名後面跟著一段插入語，必須正確用逗號隔開。

這題的考點其實是 插入語標點：

• 插入語前後都需要逗號（或破折號／括號），不能只用一邊。
• 學生若只把注意力放在「斜體書名」上，反而容易忽略後面是插入語的結構。

 

Math 數學科目解析

相比 5 月 SAT，這次的數學部分普遍算是 相對友善。大部分題目都在常規範圍內，學生若平時練習充分，應該能夠掌握。

唯一值得一提的是 Module 2 出現的一題難題，即使使用 Desmos 也可能會覺得棘手，需要臨場的數學直覺與推理能力。

👀AEI 的觀察👀

數學科目其實是最容易靠練習累積高分的部分。

• 若學生能熟悉 College Board 官方題型，大量練習就足以把分數穩定拉到 750 分。
• 但若目標是 滿分 800，就必須超越機械式練習，具備 靈活應變的思考力，在遇到新型題目時能冷靜分析並正確解答。

 

精選題目重現:

 

1. Two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, forming 4 acute angles and 4 obtuse angles. It is known that the acute angle is 7x + 410, and the sum of 1 acute angle and 3 obtuse angles is -14x + w. Find the value of w.

From properties of lines we know that the acute angle is 7x + 410 and the obtuse angle must be 180 – (7x – 410), or 590 – 7x. The sum of 1 acute angle and 3 obtuse angles would be:

7x + 410 + 3 (590 – 7x) = 7x + 410 + 1770 – 21x, or -14x + 1360.

 

2. A quadratic  3x – bx – 8 = 0 has 4 answer choices (in completed square form) and asks which one is the equivalent form.

While this problem is perfectly solvable by completing the square, students have to remember to divide b first by 3 and then 2. 

 

Try a different approach:

Choose a random number for b, say b = 4.

 

Substitute b = 4 into the answer options and graph those options.

See which one matches.

 

3. A triangle is given with dimensions 300, 400, 500 (at this point, you should recognize its a right 3-4-5 triangle). The triangle is similar to another triangle. What is tangent of one of the angles of the other triangle?

 

4. A circle with center (2,9) is tangent to a line with slope 5/4 at the point (a, -4). What is the value of a?

解題思路

1. 切線與半徑的關係
   幾何裡一個重要觀念：圓的半徑在切點上會與切線垂直。

• 已知切線斜率 = 5/4​。
• 所以半徑的斜率必須是負倒數 = −4/5。

2. 套用到這題
   半徑連接圓心 (2,9) 和切點 (a,−4)，因此半徑斜率是：-13 / a-2

將它設為 −4/5​：

即可得到 73/4

 

5. 數學模組二最後一題

 -X + bx – 625 = 0 has no solutions, what is the least value of b?

 

Remember, the last question is the last for a reason. The trick here is that you get the discriminant inequality to be

b < 2500

However you must remember that the square root of anything square is its absolute value, and hence the inequality becomes:

|b| < 50

And thus – 50 < b < 50, making the least value to be -49.

 

Summarize

那麼，八月 Digital SAT 真的比較難嗎？
我們認為 沒有。難度大致與三月相似，部分學生覺得「難」的原因，可能在於八月考生人數多，分數常態分布下競爭更激烈。

建議：
College Board 已開放 9 月 Digital SAT 考場，學生可利用這段時間進行有計劃的訓練。持續刷題、保持手感，才是衝高分數的關鍵。

 

Breaking News: Was the August Digital SAT Really Harder?

AEI Digital SAT Team’s Firsthand Analysis

Recently, many students have been circulating a rumor: the August Digital SAT is always harder than usual. But is it true? And how should students interpret this test? The AEI Digital SAT Team brings you a clear analysis to help students and parents understand the test’s key features and difficulty.

Reading & Writing Section

This time, the difficulty was around the mid-range, and the question distribution matched AEI’s prediction at an impressive 98.14%. Module 1 typically follows this breakdown:

• 4 Vocabulary
• 3 Structure & Purpose
• 1 Main Idea
• 1–2 Detail
• 1–2 Chart
• 1–2 Logical Completions
• 4 Grammar review (Boundaries, Verbs, Pronouns, Modification)
• 2–4 Boundaries / Verbs
• 2 Transitions
• 3 Rhetorical Synthesis

August Highlights

1. Vocabulary: Words like attrition and proponent appeared, but nothing as tough as fecundity from May. A new twist: choices included phrases (e.g., Proponents of), not just single words.
2. Charts: Module 1 charts were straightforward—for example, identifying data smaller than 47 from a table of species counts.
3. Texts: Readings included Shakespeare’s Richard III and The Wizard of Oz. Shakespeare was tough for those unfamiliar, while Oz was more approachable.

Featured Question Review: August Digital SAT

1. Transition Question

“Biographers had a hard time collecting information before the 19th century because of a lack of written documents. ___________ the case for Samuel Johnson’s biographer, who could refer to … which had 26 volumes and 19,000 pages.”

Choices included:
(A) On the same premise
(B) On the other hand of the spectrum
(C) …
(D) …

Key point: Samuel Johnson’s biographer did not face the same difficulty, since he had abundant sources. The correct answer had to signal a contrast/exception relationship.

 

2. Chart Question: Mountains in Nepal

A chart showed peak elevations of mountains in Nepal and the average elevation of their ranges.

“Hikers deem mountains to be taller in comparison to their surroundings, instead of their actual height. Which of the following options uses data from the chart most effectively to illustrate this claim?”

Key point: This was not about identifying the tallest mountain, but the one with the largest difference between peak height and surrounding range. Students had to quickly compare peak vs. range elevation.

AEI’s Observation: These chart questions are not just about numbers; they test whether students can identify the core logic under time pressure.

 

3. Chart Question: Flower Study

Researchers tracked flowers over 20 days, recording:

• Total number of flowers
• Male flower pollination success rate
• Male-to-female ratio

The hypothesis: flowers adjust the male/female ratio to avoid self-pollination. The question asked students to find evidence that the data did not support this claim.

Key point: Students had to spot the counterexample. Correct answers highlighted this lack of correlation

 

4. Literal Comprehension: Richard III

Excerpt:

“I do the wrong and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
Clarence, who I indeed have cast in darkness,
I do beweep to many simple gulls,
Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham.”

Question: What is happening here?

Key point: Richard is revealing his plot: he stirs up trouble, blames others, and even pretends to mourn Clarence in order to deceive people like Derby, Hastings, and Buckingham.

AEI’s Observation: Shakespeare passages are classic high-level reading challenges. Even if students know the words, the secondary meanings and rhetorical tone make comprehension difficult.

 

5. Textual Evidence: The Wizard of Oz

Question: Which quote best supports the idea that Dorothy’s uncle’s house is very remote?

Correct Answer:

“When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions.”

Key point: Textual Evidence questions may look simple, but the trap is that several options feel related. The challenge is identifying the most direct and effective support.

 

6. Logical Completions: Sea Otters

The question was along the lines of: Some sea otters use tools to open shellfish, which are more nutritious. Others eat snails or soft-shelled creatures with lower nutritional value. Tool-using otters also avoid tooth damage. Therefore, _________

Choices:
(A) Otters that don’t use tools are healthier
(B) Otters that don’t use tools need to hunt more
(C) Otters that don’t use tools are more likely to have tooth damage
(D) Otters with tooth damage hunt snails

 

7. Dual Texts: Two Poems on the Moon

Students compared how each poem viewed the moon.

• Text 1: The moon as distant and unreachable.
• Text 2: The moon as close and intimate.

Key point: The challenge lies in recognizing the attitude difference, not just literal meaning.

 

8. Boundaries: Grammar & Punctuation

One question placed punctuation after the title of a work in italics, followed by an inserted clause.

Key point: Students had to recognize it as an inserted clause, which must be surrounded by commas. The italicized title itself was a distraction—what really mattered was the rule for parenthetical punctuation.

 

Math Section Analysis

Compared to the May SAT, the math section of the August 23 Digital SAT was generally more approachable. Most questions were within the standard range, and students who had practiced sufficiently should have been able to handle them.

One notable exception was a difficult question in Module 2. Even with Desmos, it could feel tricky, requiring quick mathematical intuition and reasoning.

AEI’s Observation

Math is actually the section where high scores are most achievable through consistent practice.

• If students are familiar with College Board official question types and practice extensively, they can reliably push their scores up to 750.
• But for a perfect 800, students must go beyond mechanical drilling and develop flexible problem-solving skills—the ability to stay calm, think clearly, and adapt to new problem types on test day.

Featured Questions

1. Parallel Lines and Angles
Two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, forming 4 acute and 4 obtuse angles. The acute angle is given as 7x+4107x + 4107x+410, and the sum of 1 acute angle and 3 obtuse angles is −14x+w. Find the value of w.

From angle properties:

• Acute angle = 7x+410.
• Obtuse angle = 180−(7x+410)=590.
• Sum = 7x+410+3(590−7x)=−14x+1360.

 

2. A quadratic 3x – bx – 8 = 0 has 4 answer choices (in completed square form) and asks which one is the equivalent form.

While this problem is perfectly solvable by completing the square, students have to remember to divide b first by 3 and then 2. 

 

Try a different approach:

Choose a random number for b, say b = 4.

Graph 3x – 4x – 8.

Substitute b = 4 into the answer options and graph those options.

See which one matches.

 

3. A triangle is given with dimensions 300, 400, 500 (at this point, you should recognize its a right 3-4-5 triangle). The triangle is similar to another triangle. What is tangent of one of the angles of the other triangle?

 

4. A circle with center (2,9) is tangent to a line with slope 5/4 at the point (a, -4). What is the value of a?

Solution Approach:

1. The radius at the point of tangency is perpendicular to the tangent line.
   • Tangent slope = 5/4​.
   • Radius slope = −4/5​.
2. Radius connects (2,9) and (a,-4). Its slope is −13/ a−2​.
3. Setting −13 / a−2=−4 /5 gives a=73/4​.

 

5. Final Question of Module 2
-x + bx – 625 = 0 has no solutions, what is the least value of b?

Remember, the last question is the last for a reason. The trick here is that you get the discriminant inequality to be

b < 2500

However you must remember that the square root of anything square is its absolute value, and hence the inequality becomes:

|b| < 50

And thus – 50 < b < 50, making the least value to be -49.

 

Conclusion

So, was the August Digital SAT really harder?
We don’t think so. Its overall difficulty was very similar to the March exam. Some students may have felt it was harder simply because August test dates attract more students, and under a normal distribution, it becomes harder to stand out.

Our advice:
With the September Digital SAT session now available, students should take advantage of the extra preparation time. Keep practicing consistently and maintain test-day rhythm—this is the key to pushing scores higher.

 

｜2025 年：把握每一次提升的機會

The new September SAT test in 2025 will provide students with more opportunities to plan flexibly and improve their scores. At the same time, this change also shows that the importance of standardized tests in college applications cannot be ignored. AEI emphasizes that candidates should make full use of time and prepare in advance to ensure that every challenge can be met in the best possible condition, adding strong support to their dream university applications. Also remind candidates! In August, September, and October, the time between the three exams is very short, so it is impossible to significantly improve your ability during this period. You need to lay a solid foundation before the exam, including vocabulary, logical thinking ability, and study habits. and concentration.

Introduction to AEI’s original Digital SAT mock test system(click me)