Students across the country are preparing for a new, more challenging SAT that will debut in March, the first major revision of the college admissions exam in a decade.
The College Board, which administers the SAT, decided last year that the test needed to better reflect what students are learning in class, particularly as most states have adopted Common Core State Standards.
Among the biggest changes: Obscure vocabulary is no longer a primary focus. Now students must analyze text and show that they understand how the author uses words in passages.
Math will focus on problem solving, data analysis and algebra. There will be more graphics and more word problems in the math sections than in the old test, according to Michael Boothroyd, executive director of college admission programs for Kaplan Test Prep...
One of the key changes to the SAT is that the essay section, which has grown from 25 to 50 minutes, is optional for most students. Only 13 percent of the nation’s schools, including University of California campuses, require the essay for admission.
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
Wednesday, November 04, 2015
SAT Getting Tougher?
After "recentering" the test so that scores were higher, I'll wait to see if these SAT changes will truly make the test tougher:
I think most students recoil at word problems. Wouldn't be surprised if math scores drop as a result of that.
ReplyDeleteI have a question. Is there an upward limit to the number of times a student is permitted to take the SAT or ACT? We have an odd situation at our school with a student who is on the spectrum, but whose parents deny it. They've gotten all kinds of accommodations from breaking the test up into four parts to taking it over and over. She's on her sixth attempt. The poor kid simply has other issues going on and can't make a score that will get her in college. I rather wish they would at least limit the number of times a student could take the test in a calendar year.
ReplyDeleteI assume you can take it as many times as you're willing to pay for it!
ReplyDeleteCan you take it at any age? I've been tempted to take it just to gauge how "hard" it is. Would like to be able to give my students some kind of idea of what to expect.
ReplyDelete