<p>How do you guys like the idea?</p>
<p>I think it is a good change overall but penalty for guessing should still be there. Seems the changes are in response to losing ground to ACT, specially getting away with tough vocab.
I am no expert but since you are competing with other test takers so whether test becomes easier or harder does not make any easier or harder for you as a student. </p>
<p>actually, it might. Right now with 2400 there are very few perfect scorers. With this new easy test, there may be much more</p>
<p>@sanwal</p>
<p>since the test is going to be much easier, there may be many more ppl with perfect scores</p>
<p>This also means sharp curves. So even if there will be more people with perfect or higher scores your GPA and EC’s would play even a bigger role. An easier test does not mean easier end result, and that is college admission.
I think it is good for students who have problems memorizing vocab or can do better in a longer essay, so depends upon the style of learner. Some test better then others in a specific format. But then again, if the new format suits you better then you may be a better candidate for ACT already.</p>
<p>But GPA is flawed! you can’t compare what a kid at Stuyvesant learns to what a kid in a low rigor school learns
. </p>
<p>a 4.0 in one school can be a 2.9 in another lenient school</p>
<p>Everybody knows that the SAT in the current format is the harder than the ACT. People are switching to the ACT because of this fact. I don’t think colleges will like this</p>
<p>@sanwal</p>
<p>I don’t like the fact that the new SAT format is effectively lowering the standard. One SHOULD have a larger vocabulary and a broader understanding of mathematics, regardless of utility. Furthermore, the removal of the mandatory writing section is a loss, especially for those who are more humanities/writing oriented. I predict that the new exam will create more unfair competition and will make it increasingly difficult for universities to identify the good students from the good test-takers. </p>
<hr>
<h2>What will become of international exams? Will students be required to study the American founding documents instead of the documents relevant to their countries?</h2>
<p>Overall, I am not optimistic.
(Just a note: I have already completed High School and by extension, the SATs.)</p>
<p>@synchronizer</p>
<p>couldn’t agree more with synchronizer. The vocab is one of the best parts. It sticks with you for life</p>
<p>I’m glad that someone shares my view. I truly fear for the future, as the exams are becoming less concerned with actual achievement.</p>
<p>Oh and, “will make it increasingly difficult for universities to identify the good students from the good test-takers.”</p>
<p>“identify” is the wrong word. I meant “separate” or “differentiate.”</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>In my opinion, the NEW SAT is harder.
I’ve seen the 200 page test spec.<br>
The Essay is NOT optional. Really. It depends upon what college you are targeting. If that college recommends or requires ACT Essay than that college will do same for New SAT.
The Math is higher level. More Algebra 2 and less Geometry/MS math. Even 1 trig question.
100% of the “verbal” questions come from passages. 90% of the passages are non-fiction (sciences, history, etc)</p>
<p>I don’t think an easier test will mean more perfect scores. It’s all about scaling. On the current test, you can miss a few answers in each section and still get a perfect score, so a lot (maybe even most) of the people with perfect scores now didn’t actually get every question right. If the test does actually become easier, they just have to adjust the scaling so that there’s less or even no room for error. The whole idea is that students are ranked against each other, not on the test itself.</p>
<p>In the end, it doesn’t really matter if your particular test is easier or harder because it all gets scaled anyway. If it’s really harder, then everyone will find it hard and get lower raw scores, so the scaling will compensate.</p>