30 common SAT vocabulary words every student should know The structure of the SAT changed significantly when the College Board introduced the fully Digital SAT. Gone are the days of memorizing obscure, labyrinthine words like "obstreperous" or "pulchritude" from massive flashcard decks. In 2026, the exam targets high-utility academic vocabulary—words that students actually encounter in college-level textbooks, scientific journals, and historical documents. To achieve a top-ti