<p>@HarvestMoon1, thanks for the information regarding confirming SAT.
“Any SAT you sit for between Oct. 14’ and Oct. 16’ can be used to confirm” - So that means that the confirming SAT can be taken prior to the PSAT taken in Junior year, correct? </p>
<p>Yes, that is what I was told by the rep at the NMSC. Actually I was unaware of that fact - thought the confirmng test had to be taken after the PSAT.</p>
<p>@4beardolls, that’s what I understand. S will be taking the SAT in January, and if the score is good enough we’ll use that for the PSAT next October.</p>
<p>I am interested in everyone’s test schedule strategy given that our kids will have to take the new PSAT.
@mtrosemom, May I ask your son’s reason for taking SAT in January since it will be the old SAT. He will then have to study for the new PSAT. I was thinking that the benefit is that your son will get to test the old SAT and still have the opportunity to take the new SAT. However, he will have to study for both the new and the old. I would like to know if you think it’s worth the time to study for both.
I welcome everyone’s thoughts on this.</p>
<p>@4beardolls – the PSAT/NMSQT is a wonderful opportunity assuming one will be able to exercise the Nat’l Merit scholarship offerings. Otherwise, it is a national award, which is an amazing thing, but colleges will be looking at the SAT scores, not the PSAT scores, when reading applications. My money is on the SAT, not the PSAT. (If the exam format were not changing, I would place more emphasis on prepping for the PSAT.)</p>
<p>I think it will be easier for my son to prep for the old SAT since I have a stash of old SAT exams. I have two of the QAS tests from when my older son took the SAT plus random others that I pulled off the internet when my older son was prepping. I do not think my younger son will need to prep the way my older son did, but I have the materials if he should decide to use them.</p>
<p>I have no idea how he will prep for the new PSAT and as I mentioned upstream, I think this will be the most level playing field we have had since the last time the CB tweaked the exam. I may be completely wrong about this, but once one moves below sheer genius level, practice/exposure pushes scores up. I doubt our class of 2017 students will have many real practice tests to use, so they will all be on the same page. </p>
<p>I had planned to have my son take the test fall of Jr year but after sitting for the practice PSAT last weekend, he has decided to take the test March of this year. March is not a QAS date, but fits in with his ECs, and leaves May or June for subject test.</p>
<p>@4beardolls, I am with CT1417 in that we have a plethora (love that word) of SAT study material at home from my older D that S can use to prep for the old SAT. Prep material availability for the new SAT that will begin the spring (March) of their junior year is questionable. I think waiting until spring of junior year is too late to take the SAT for the first time in the event that they need retakes. I don’t think S would do well filling out college apps in Fall of senior year AND having to prep for one last SAT. If he doesn’t do well on the SAT, or doesn’t score high enough on the new PSAT to be in NMSF territory like his sister is, then we may switch gears and go for the ACT. I don’t like that our kids are ending up as “crash test dummies” for the new test regime. </p>
<p>This might be helpful for parents and students of current 10th graders who will be most affected by the redesign of the test. I think you need to consider your child’s strengths when deciding whether to sit for the old or new test. I think the addition of “data analysis” in the reading section will be a positive for some students and a negative for others. In either case it is an additional “step” in arriving at the correct answer that wasn’t present in the old version. I have not yet gotten a handle on whether there have been any adjustments in the time allotments for the various sections of the test.</p>
<p><a href=“About the SAT Suite – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/compare</a></p>
<p>The second chart compares # of questions and time allotted. Our Guidance Dept distributed this at Open House night.</p>
<p><a href=“What's on the SAT? – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign/compare-tests</a></p>
<p>At first glance, it looks like the ACT’s speed emphasis is coming to the SAT.</p>
<p>For anyone who really wants to drill down:</p>
<p><a href=“The SAT Math Test – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/redesigned-psat-nmsqt/redesigned-sat-comparison-math</a></p>
<p><a href=“The SAT Reading Test – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/redesigned-psat-nmsqt/redesigned-sat-comparison-reading</a></p>
<p><a href=“The SAT Writing and Language Test – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/redesigned-psat-nmsqt/redesigned-sat-comparison-writing-language</a></p>
<p>I am beginning to see the benefit of taking both the old and the new sat. If for nothing else, just so they will have time to take more to improve score. Thanks for the helpful links. Would you say if a student study hard for the old test, most of the knowledge (or some of it) would be applicable to the new sat?</p>
<p>@4beardolls – I have no idea on that last question. One would hope, but as I mentioned earlier, I think that once you move beyond the sheer genius test takers, exposure & practice are what bump the scores. The first full-length practice test will be released March 2016, leaving little time to ‘practice’; I do not know what will be available on Kahn Academy before that time.</p>
<p>Even if the test format were not changing, I had planned to have my son take the exam fall of Jr year. (He is now moving the schedule up to March of sophomore year, but he is taking pre-calc now so he is moving further away from the tested math.) You just want to avoid spring of Jr year, if it can be helped. The combination of AP exams, SAT IIs, Jr Prom (don’t laugh!), final exams, and perhaps college visits, along with spring sports……it is just too much for these students.</p>
<p>Now, if a student preps summer before Jr year and is clearly not ready, then don’t test early, but the fact that you are contemplating this now implies that the student could be ready. Or, the student could decide to pursue the ACT instead.</p>
<p>S#1 was in the first class for the “new” (now current) PSAT/SAT, which started in 2004/05, and he took the very first sitting of the new SAT. (Reached his goal, made NMF, and didn’t re-test). There were prep materials available for both tests, which certainly made the difference for S (who is NOT a super-genius who would make it easily blindfolded/sleep-deprived/without prep.)
I have a 10th grader this year who will be in the same position for the “new, new” PSAT/SAT. I don’t really see it as a disadvantage. If it is, then everyone in the class will have the same “disadvantage.” College Board website says the practice materials will be available in Spring 2015. I’m sure there will be books available through CB and other prep publishers who want your $. I have been doing PSAT/SAT (and some ACT) prep since 2004. It will be a change, but my 10th grader will be prepping this summer for the new PSAT, and taking the new SAT in March. If you have been working hard on the current SAT, and want your kid to take it, by all means go ahead. But if you are looking for NM, you’ll have to switch gears for the new PSAT anyway. If your kid preps hard for that, he/she will be ready for the new SAT. Using new SAT materials to prep for the new PSAT, and staying in that same gear, will be our strategy.</p>
<p>Lots of dates to consider. I’m thinking he will want to do it in March if I present the options. January conflicts with a debate tournament, May is too close to AP tests, June he might want to take the Chemistry SAT Subject test (though he might not, since he already has 2 good subject test scores). </p>
<p>March may conflict with a volleyball tournament, but we won’t know that schedule until Jan/Feb. I asked by email, and it doesn’t conflict with an all-day, out-of-town math contest he will certainly want to attend.</p>
<p>After that, we’d be looking at fall of junior year and the need to prep at the same time for the new PSAT. As CT1417 said, he is moving away from the tested math, though some things on the PSAT/SAT are comparable to math competition problems.</p>
<p>Oh, and thanks for the info on the QAS, CT1417. I hadn’t heard of that before.</p>