New SAT to bring back 1600 points scale?
Certification: Test Prep SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAT is a standardized admission test for colleges in the United States. It was previously described as the Scholastic Aptitude Test which then changed to Scholastic Assessment Test and then to SAT reasoning test. Now a days it is simply referred to as the SAT. SAT was first presented in 1926 by the College Board. The College Board is a private organization in the United States which owns the SAT. The test however is administered by the Educational Testing Service.
SAT has undergone various changes and modifications since its introduction in 1926. SAT once had a so called “Verbal” section which contained antonym and analogy questions. In 2005, a writing section worth 800 points was added to the SAT changing it from 1600 point scale to 2400 points scale. The Writing Section consists of multiple choice questions and a 25 minute essay. Even though it is part of current SAT many universities don’t consider the scores in this section.
Word has it that SAT will return to its 1600 points scale version. The Writing Section that was introduced in 2005 will no longer be a compulsory part of SAT. It will be optional and will be graded separately. The new SAT will be introduced for the first time in the beginning of 2016. The test duration will be 3 hours only.
Changes in the new SAT.
Change in the points scale isn’t the only thing different in the new SAT. Many other significant changes will be brought about in the new version of SAT in 2016.
Optional Writing Section.
As I mentioned above the writing section will be optional and graded separately. The students will be given 50 minutes to complete the essay if they wish to do this section or if it is the college’s requirement.
New text for Reading Section.
The Critical Reading Section will also have different content from the usual material given in the SAT. It will contain non-literary text like History, Science, Social Studies, etc. This will boost student knowledge.
Re-designed Math Section with new calculator rules.
The Math Section in the new SAT will focus on fewer areas like the concepts of data analysis and problem solving. Calculator use would not be allowed in selective parts of the test. The calculator ban on selective questions is supposed to improve your mental calculation skills which can come in handy in various situations. Until now calculator was allowed in all math questions of the SAT.
No to SAT words.
Over the years SAT has troubled the students with many difficult words which are commonly known as SAT words or SAT vocab. The internet is filled with lists of words that most commonly appear on the SAT. These words are difficult to memorize and hardly have any practical application. The new SAT vows to change that. From 2016, SAT will test students only on those words that would be used in college or elsewhere and will actually come in useful.
No more deduction.
Students taking the SAT are always conscious about the fact that if they mark a question incorrectly a quarter of a point will be deducted from their score. The new SAT which is set to appear in 2016 brings good news for students that there will no longer be any point deduction on wrong answers. Students will be able to make those intelligent guesses they were afraid to make before because of fear of losing points.
Why the change?
Change is good but what made the College Board make this decision to alter the SAT so much? Here’s what has happened: Over the years SAT prep industry has become really vast. There are multiple websites and text materials available for SAT preparation and most of them cost a fortune. Indeed, SAT prep industry is a 1 billion dollar industry according to some sources. Parents spend extensively on these SAT prep courses so that their children can get a high SAT score and get into their dream college. This has created a gap amongst the student population between those who can afford such courses and those who can’t. The ultimate progress in SAT has been shown to be higher by those students who take such courses. This is totally unfair to the students out there who have the potential to be great college students but don’t have the necessary means to get into one.
Another thing the College Board has realized is that SAT has strayed from the normal school education. David Coleman, the current President of College Board believes that students should focus more on day-to-day schooling. The new SAT will be centered around the knowledge that is taught in high schools.
Free preparatory material and fee waivers.
Another great step the College Board plans to take is making SAT preparatory material available for free. The College Board is partnering up with Khan Academy, a well known free knowledge resource to make this possible. This step will bring fairness to the whole SAT concept. The deserving students will par the SAT regardless of the amount of money they own.
The College Board will award fee waivers for college applications to students who can’t afford the high fee so that such students can submit their college applications for free.
Better or worse.
We can only speculate whether the new SAT will be better or worse. Focusing on what’s taught in schools is definitely a step in the right direction and it will make the students concentrate more on their day-to-day studies. Making SAT prep material available to all will help erase the gap that has appeared between the masses over the years. Overall, the new SAT brings great things to the table and we are hopeful for its success.