Where I live people believe that the SAT is easier to prep for and ultimately do well on. I think it has something to do with the point spread (the sheer “height” of the score). I happen to believe that the ACT is a much easier test than the current SAT, without question. However, the new SAT is even easier than the ACT in the verbal sections. Therefore the new SAT will be the test of choice for anyone who has done well in math and does not read much. The only catch is that people forget that rigorous colleges want to see the essay, and if you have no background in rhetoric (frequent in public schools now), you will have to prep for the essay portion specifically if you want to be competitive for admissions.
@epiphany I, personally, believe that people are underestimating the new SAT math section. Have you gone through it to see what it feels like to do those questions without a calculator? And then gone through an ACT math as a comparison?
For someone who scores in the range of a 1500-1800 on the current test–500s in each section–I can’t understand how a person of that level will transition to the new SAT math
I do see to have trouble communicating here that I am speaking, WRT to “ease,” the verbal sections, even when I underline those words. I do understand that the new math section is more difficult, yes, and I agree that not using a calculator will necessitate transitioning and practicing. ;
@epiphany You’ve made clear you’ve looked at the Verbal sections being easier. You’ve also commented on the new SAT overall about whether it’s for people who like math
My point is that these tests aren’t a pick and choose: you can’t say give me section 1 of Test A and section 2 of Test B.
ACT Grammar = New SAT Grammar.
You believe New SAT Passages are a lot easier than ACT passages?
I personally believe that New SAT math will be a lot rougher for many folks. Perhaps so rough that any advantage of the new SAT passages might be outweighed
For students who are strong in Vocab, pursuing the current SAT makes total sense. But for the rest of the country who doesn’t read, I personally feel that the ACT is easier. You can score higher on the ACT in half the time.
And the new SAT Reading requires you to do 65 minutes straight. If you’re a strong reader, pursuing the New SAT makes total sense. But if you’re like the rest of the country who doesn’t read, 65 minutes is a lot of time to stay focused.
Don’t listen to the dummies that tell you that the SAT is the more prestigious test. As far as I know, every college in the country accepts both the SAT and ACT equally (unless you’re applying to a special program that requires one over the other).
So take the test that you will score higher in the fastest amount of time.
Never said or implied that one could pick and choose. Where did I say that? b**
@epiphany I never said your said or implied that. Let’s move on from that.
I’m saying that a test has to be chosen, not sections. The discussion here seems to be very focused on whether the verbal sections are easier, but the verbal sections in isolation does not seem to be a relevant discussion for the goal of picking a test
In fact, I am trying to break down where you say verbal sections are easier
Post 44: YES. There were points I made earlier, as well. 
So, again, for those who have trouble following (not you):
Take the new SAT if you are strong in non-calculator math, have a strong math background and ability, and read minimally (meaning that you will also have a weak vocabulary), take the new SAT, because you will PROBABLY score well. HOWEVER, you will not “score well” IF getting into any college which expects the Essay portion is one of your goals AND you are not well prepared to answer that section. And remember that even colleges which technically do not or will not require the essay portion will nevertheless receive applications from students who HAVE taken it. What’s important to consider about most college admissions is that the process is comparative now, virtually across the board.
@epiphany What about for the student who is not strong in non-calculator math and advanced math in general?
Possibly the old SAT or the ACT, but only the latter if there are not timing issues and only if there has been adequate science lab teaching in the high school. I never recommend that weak math students who are also LD take the ACT, because timing is such a major issue for LD kids.
I just do find, though, that weak math students usually need specific prep for the “old” (current) SAT in order to recognize the category of math problem; otherwise the questions can be very confusing for them. Of course, the current SAT is also very difficult for students with diagnosed ADD because of the back-and-forth between verbal and quantitative. The new SAT (and the ACT) are both much better in that regard.
As you see, and I’m sure everyone here would agree, it really does depend on the student, his high school background, and his native inclinations, as to which of the 3 tests he will take – if he has that choice. There are a number of variables to consider.
I would hold off making any strategic recommendations until I see the scoring chart. Right now, it looks like you can’t get an 800 in math if you don’t know how to work with imaginary numbers and you don’t have an understanding of trig functions and the unit circle. OK, fine. Students who would have scored 800 on the old SAT probably know or can learn these things. But what about those who don’t? How many of these will there be? WHERE will they be? And how many can you miss and still get a 700? 650?
On the other hand, I do want to complain: when you choose what to put on a test of this importance, you choose what students will learn. That is the awesome power of the college board. With great power…well you know. I don’t understand how they decided that imaginary numbers are more important than probability and counting. Just saying.
@pckeller Not just any feature of imaginary numbers, but simplifying them so that the denominator is real and not imaginary, and without a calculator no less. That’s the skill the college board has decided is of importance. And that question is not even supposed to be one of the difficult ones because it appears in only the middle of the section in the released tests.
In contrast, imaginary numbers hardly ever appear on the ACT, and when they do are almost only about adding and multiplying. And with a graphing calculator, which can help form such a calculation if in the appropriate mode
Generally, I agree with you. I’ve just been a bit blown away by all of this talk of the new SAT is easier. In short, we just don’t know because they won’t release the scale yet.
Though I’m inclined to think that any new test will have bugs to be worked out over time. Given the somewhat last minute nature of the current roll-out, I expect some inherent difficult in decoding the SAT. Nothing against the organization
If you keep wondering “why all the talk about how the new SAT will be easier,” it’s possible that you work much less than some of us do with high-math-ability + low-verbal-ability (or interest) students. I think for the typical public school student who isn’t as lopsided as the great majority of my students are, the redesigned math will be a challenge. But if any of my students have made the wise choice to take AP Lang and got a good teacher for that, they will do well on the redesigned SAT. However, that is a huge “IF.” Most of my students – because they’re not interested in taking English courses, do not choose AP Lang, and this same group – no matter how highly ranked their school and how competitive/demanding the school is, are not being given adequate writing opportunities in standard English class. Almost none of mine have even heard the term “rhetoric.” Those who do, interpret it narrowly and have never been asked to examine an author’s rhetorical strategies.
As I have said at least twice now, the bottom line is that these same students have high college aspirations. As I anticipated, it is likely that most selective colleges will require the new essay portion:
https://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/blog/2015/02/16/how-will-top-colleges-use-the-redesigned-sat/
And I don’t think it’s very safe to assume that the college in the “undecided” category will opt for No.
Collegeboard will hold the March 2016 test-takers’ scores until May. Perhaps that’s when we will finally learn the scales.
And I also said that already, multiple times.
@epiphany Then we’ve established that for incredibly high-skilled math students but not at all high-skilled in grammar or reading, the new SAT might be the best option. Given that’s not the majority of test-takers, what about everybody else?
Fair question, @satteacher
I wish I could be enthusiastic about the upcoming choices. I am not. And even though I have never been a particular fan of the current SAT (especially ever since analogies were removed), I still think of the choices it would have been better to keep the current SAT – only because the breadth and range of difficulty of reading passages mimics college reading much more than the new SAT does, or even the ACT.
For a high-verbal student, take the ACT, even though I think’s an embarrassment. The “English” section doesn’t begin to cover the mastery required in college. And take Subject Tests which show your stuff. Go for it. Pile it on, for all I care. Also take AP Lit and AP Lang, both (courses and exams).
Coleman is a joke. I don’t think much of him, despite his – what? – 2 doctoral degrees or is it one? Proves nothing. He’s not an educator, no matter how he fancies himself. Look, I would understand strengthening the math section if he thought it needed that. But weakening the verbal section? It makes no sense. Unless a student has chosen to attend a technical institute, do you know what you mostly do in college? Read. And I don’t mean math sets.
It sounds, instead, as if Coleman’s real wannabe job is president or dean of a college where he can restructure the curriculum to suit his own personal preferences, which he apparently believes are strictly with technical data. Swell.
For those who are not high-verbal, still take the ACT. And you know what? Collegeboard deserves what it gets if test-takers don’t bite at his bait. They should fire him and completely restructure their own test. The one thing I will say for Coleman is that the Essay is so greatly improved and so much more a mastery test than the pathetic current SAT essay. It just makes no sense that he chose that divide-and-destroy strategy. CB could keep the new essay section (or something similar, i.e., passage based), revise the math to be more like ACT math. But the ACT Reading and English is way too easy for college-level demands. From a college’s point of view, I think there should be many more levels of difficulty within whatever test is used.
Newsflash, Dr. Coleman: Changing a test, in the way you did, will not necessarily change the curriculum or the teaching methods. I know that’s what he assumes, but curriculum choice and educational philosophy includes many more factors than just an arbitrary test change.
And just in case anyone hasn’t seen these two NYT articles, the first is about Coleman, who wants life to be Different but is illogical about how to make it different.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/the-story-behind-the-sat-overhaul.html
The second is a (less favorable) response to those changes – an Opinion piece.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/opinion/the-big-problem-with-the-new-sat.html
The thing about the SAT is that the CB probably wants the percentiles of scores to remain about the same. So If the no calculator section is really giving the majority of students trouble, then we might see the math section have a more lenient curve. I really don’t think it will be that much of a problem though.
@epiphany It seems like we’re finally agreeing on matters. Not sure how that happened! hahaah
I’m encouraging folks to do the current SAT format while they can and the ACT. The new SAT just doesn’t feel completely organized yet, and I’m probably just as opposed to the lack of organization to the changes themselves
@satteacher
Well, I didn’t think we were that much at odds, so I guess I was blissfully ignorant, haha.
It’s difficult for me to respect a test with such inconsistent design, but I can also appreciate – again-- graduated levels of difficulty. If the math sections are determined to be “too hard” and the curve later becomes so conquerable, it’s not much of a tool for very selective colleges, or even for very stat-driven public college admissions. Half of the math shouldn’t be “too difficult” for most students, nor should 4/5 of the verbal be too easy (too conquerable) for college aspirants.
A better idea would have been to ditch the meaningless essay, replace that with the new one, and introduce the redesigned math in the experimental sections, while initially keeping the current verbal passages.
People, and Coleman, have some valid complaints about some of the verbal passages being esoteric (not realistic for college, more realistic, in some cases, for 30-50-year-old reading tastes, even though I think that the skills being asked are more challenging on the current SAT than the questions on the redesigned one. But what Coleman did was to throw out the baby with the bath water – BOTH introducing historical passages AND making the questions far too elementary. I’m convinced that there are people even here on this board who could choose more difficult passages, but in the themes Coleman wants, and more challenging questions for those passages. There are such better test designers in many other locations, too.
Poorly thought-out test design, and a contradictory product – not only within itself but within the very goals Coleman stated he wanted.
@satteacher I’m going to go with your advice. It seems like the best route to take.
@epiphany I also agree with your above statement, after taking the new SAT it sees like a huge step down from the current one (in short). What you said about Coleman is, in my eyes, completely correct.