<p>@CT1417 If a student experiences disruptive testing conditions (such as excessive coughing in my case), the student can file a report and will most likely have the option to submit an SAT of their choosing for NMS.</p>
<p>@foolish – interesting. I was not aware.</p>
<p>Actually, this transition to the new test will create a small scheduling issue for the eager testers who try to take care of the SAT in the fall of junior year once and for all.</p>
<p>I actually don’t encourage anyone to prep too early. This goes for my clients and my own children. I don’t believe it is worth it to spend time prepping for the sophomore PSAT. But many people disagree with me about this and start their prep early. They WILL have to prep twice. The junior year PSAT for the class of 2017 will be the new format as will the SAT that spring. So if you prep for the sophomore PSAT, you still have to modify your prep and strategies to prepare for the new format PSAT, especially if you are hoping for national merit. Then, if you want to take the October or November SAT, that will be old format. But then, if you are hoping to bump your score in the spring, you have to re-prep for the new format.</p>
<p>What’s the solution? Calm down and take it slow. Just prepare thoroughly for the new format PSAT as more information comes out. Then, take the new format SAT only. With March, May and June to choose from, you can still be finished as a junior if things go well. It won’t be any more or less fun than the old format but there is also no reason to expect that you will do any better or worse. It seems silly to create extra work for yourself by taking both formats.</p>
<p>“there is also no reason to expect that you will do any better or worse” Sure there is. The essay will be based on a DBQ format. Better for kids whose schools teach DBQ writing as freshmen and/or who start them on the AP classes that stress that type of writing. Worse for kids in schools that don’t. I’m not sure they teach DBQ at all in our schools unless you take certain AP classes, and a kid who’s only just gotten started with this type of writing as a junior is going to be way behind one whose school starts these classes in grade 9. The new SAT will contain questions about US historical documents. Better for those who studied US history and gov already. Worse for those who have never seen these documents and aren’t used to reading things from these historical periods. The new test has a dumbed down vocab. Better for kids who don’t know much vocab and would rather schools don’t know that. Worse for kids who would like schools to know they have a good vocab. The new SAT will be generally more aligned to common core instruction. Better for those who are getting common core instruction. Worse for those who aren’t.</p>
<p>Well, it will be different. But maybe not so much better or worse:</p>
<p>If I had to guess, I’d predict that schools will in fact start teaching to write DBQs just like they increased their focus on the 5-paragraph form after the last round of changes. </p>
<p>I don’t know that there are any high schools actually providing common-core aligned instruction. It seems to me that most of my colleagues are hoping to ignore common core as long as possible. It’s a much bigger impact on K8.</p>
<p>In any case, what I am saying is that it just isn’t time to panic. It will still be the case that it is better to be a hard-working kid who has read a LOT. And I bet that thorough prep over the year leading up to the test will still make a big difference. But in the end, the test has to function in a way that nobody seems to like: it has to make distinctions among the testing population. If you work as hard and prepare as thoroughly, you probably land similarly with either test.</p>
<p>I have a daughter in 9th grade so I have more than professional interest in the new roll-out. But I am encouraging her to ignore this all for at least another year. </p>
<p>Also, they released more information today. I am surprised it has not yet triggered even more anxiety. The questions look harder. But they are drafts and they are out of context. To me, the information to wait for is the first round of sample tests (with their approximate curves – and no way to convert them to a “real” score"). That will tell us more about what we are up against.</p>
<p>I remember many years back when they rolled out a new AP calc with graphing calculators. The first sets of released sample problems were very challenging. Students (and teachers) were pretty stressed. But the exam was manage-able and kids who got 5’s before still got 5’s after. </p>
<p>You can get a lot of questions wrong and still get a 5 on an AP exam. If you miss more than a few questions in a high cutoff state you will not get National Merit.</p>
<p>When do you think they will have sample tests? I don’t want to slog through 220 pages of educationese. I just want a sample test so that when the time comes I can give both formats to my daughter and see whether it makes much difference.</p>
<p>Today the College Board released some sample questions for the new test coming out in 2016. The verbal questions seem like a complete rip off of the ACT English section. The math questions seem like your typical SAT math just with more words. I think the College Board is following the old adage if you can’t beat 'em join 'em. </p>
<p>@mathyone - which AP classes are offered at your daughter’s future high school, and which ones do you envision her taking?</p>
<p>@testadvice, our school offers most of the AP classes. However, in particular, APUSH, AP Gov, and both AP English classes are strictly limited to upperclassmen. Many juniors taking this new test in the fall will have had little to no exposure to the “historical documents” they are planning to test on. They will be working from US history instruction that ended in January of 7th grade. Perhaps you can get some idea of the quality of that instruction since my 8th grade daughter, who is a star student, asked me yesterday if the Great depression was in the 1800’s. They cannot read any significant primary materials in middle school since those are way beyond the 6th grade reading level the teachers must teach to. That’s what she’ll be going in to the “historical documents” test with and by then it will be a years-distant memory.</p>
<p>When I see kids on this site being in those classes as underclassmen, there is no doubt that they will have a huge advantage over kids who aren’t allowed to get such exposure until junior year.</p>
<p>Our students do have the opportunity to take AP world history as sophomores. Many don’t, because there is also an honors option. But that course is more about memorizing a lot of facts. There is very little writing involved, and though my daughter took that course, it was clear she had a lot to learn about DBQ when she started APUSH.</p>
<p>@mathyone - I wouldn’t compare your daughter’s education too much to the kids on this website. You’d think everyone was going to an Ivy League school and was taking AP classes at an early date. It’s rare that kids take APUSH, for example, before their junior year. Based on the current scale what kind of target score is your daughter shooting for? What kind of schools are you hoping to get her into?</p>
<p>I’ll give your daughter bonus points for having the intellectual curiosity to ask your hat. That might put her ahead of many others who don’t even ask. I see your point, but I really see a pre-APUSH student who is a whiz at history, unless they truly love the subject. </p>
<p>" Based on the current scale what kind of target score is your daughter shooting for?" She is a very high-achieving incredibly well-rounded perfectionist type. Goal? Scores high enough for NMF, and we are in a high cut-off state. I have not yet seen any discussion of the new PSAT. </p>
<p>Schools? That is hard to say, since she says she wants to be a writer, and it’s not something I know much about yet. But I expect she will be competing with the kids on this website.</p>
<p>I’m kind of jelly. Wish I was born one or two years later now, lol.</p>
<p>ACT is the only way to go! </p>
<p>@mathyone - Sorry I didn’t respond sooner, but I didn’t see @testadvice, so I thought no one replied. You make some good points about this, I don’t agree with all, but they’ve helped shape my thinking on the subject. It’s really helped me figure out alternatives for my students who are about your duaghter’s age.</p>
<p>@testadvice, when the dust settles this summer, I am planning to give her a practice current SAT and whatever material I can find for the new one. Hopefully this will allow us to make a plan.</p>
<p>@Roger_Dooley so now we don’t have essay section on SAT ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!</p>
<p>I am a rising sophomore. Would it be wiser to finish the SAT before the 2nd semester of my Junior year (2015) or go along with the new SAT starting from my second Junior year?</p>
<p>@ultimatesat on collegeboard’s sat website they have a link that explains and gives examples for the 2016 SAT and what is being changed. Personally if I was you I would go through that book and consider whether I think the 2016 SAT which begins after March 2016 would be an easier than the current exam. </p>
<p>No “required” essay. Prestigious colleges would still want the essay.</p>
<p>Changes are due to be cleared by examples. Sooner or later.</p>