<p>They're switching over the spring of my junior year, right at the time when I planned on taking the SAT. Now I'm not so sure anymore... What do you guys think? </p>
<p>I will be taking it at the same time and I’ve heard different things about it. As far as I know, the math should be more focused and the vocab should be easier?..</p>
<p>It seems pretty interesting. Definitely much more like the ACT now. For example, there will only be 4 choices, not 5. And no more wrong answer penalty. The format of the new English section looks nearly identical to the ACT’s English section. The new math seems better focused too, though the extended grid-in seems like it would be hard for many people. I like how geometry seems to be way de-emphasized, but now there’s going to be some trig too (which the ACT has long included). I’m not a fan of the new reading though. According to the sample questions, they can actually ask you the best piece of evidence for your answer on a previous question. That means if you get the previous question wrong, you’ll probably get the current question wrong too. The graphs in the reading section make certain passages feel a lot closer to the ACT Science section as well.</p>
<p>I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it, since I’ve already taken the current SAT. I feel like I’d be a bit disgruntled if I were a freshman and had to take the new SAT despite fewer practice materials, lol. From what I’ve read, I think that it will be, holistically, easier than the current SAT. So that’s a plus for those taking the new SAT.</p>
<p>@CandyPants16</p>
<p>I never really understood the whole focus on whether or not the test is “easy” or “hard” since these admissions test are used to compare you to other applicants. If the new SAT is easier for most students, then it will be easier for most students who are applying to the same college. However, the key question is which one fits your talents. </p>
<p>@nerdygirlyy - How would you rather your vocabulary, on a scale of 1-10 (a “10” is someone who has little trouble understanding most current “SAT words”? If you are somewhere between an 8-10, then that, for example, would be one area where the current SAT would present your skills in a more favorable light. Do not decide just on that, however. </p>
<p>Why not take them for a test-drive (read their disclaimer: these are NOT the final questions), but these are the ones they released for the NEW SAT:
<a href=“https://www.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/test_specifications_for_the_redesigned_sat_na3.pdf”>https://www.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/test_specifications_for_the_redesigned_sat_na3.pdf</a></p>
<p>Then compare with the CURRENT SAT (also on college board.org) and see if one is a better fit. You do not need to make your final decision now. They should be coming out with the book this Fall for the new one. I was hoping they would have given us more information this week, but what can you do?</p>
<p>In the meantime, work on your reading skills, that will benefit you on both exams. </p>
<p>I admire your ability to plan and think ahead!</p>
<p>If the test is somewhat easier, than it’s going to be somewhat easier for everyone – like you said. But this could ensue in top colleges “raising the bar” when it comes to standardized test scores due to a larger volume of good scores, as the test’s difficulty may result in it being harder for adcoms to distinguish between students’ academics if getting the equivalent to a 2250+ actually does become an easier feat. </p>
<p>@CandyPants16
Yes, but if they “raise the bar,” that actually fits my theory, which is that it does not matter if the test is easier or not. If “getting the equivalent of a 2250+ actually does become an easier feat (using the current scale),” then a 2300 could be like getting a 2200 now. I am not saying it will happen, but it will if the test is “easier.” This would then cancel out the easiness of the test, as you would basically have to occupy the same percentile as before.</p>
<p>The only exception to this is the tiny percentage of students for whom “easy” and “hard” is different. For example, if you are in the 98th percentile on vocabulary, maybe the current test is better for you. For the vast majority of students, however, what makes the test “easy” and “hard” is about the same.</p>
<p>I’m sort of mad about it cuz I graduate in 2015… They shouldn’t have made the essay optional! We worked hard to get a high score and the future sat takers will have even less work to do! </p>
<p>@nerdygirlyy - The more I have examined the practice questions and looked at the schedule, the more I learn towards a student who wants to do intensive prep (I am guessing this is you) look into doing the current version. You should still do a practice test for the current one and see where you are at. That will focus your studying and help you decide. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the college board says you can’t even judge the difficulty of the new exam by the questions they released.</p>
<p>“The sample questions/tasks in this appendix are provided to show a number of the key features of the redesigned sat’s Reading, Writing and Language, and Essay Tests, but do not constitute a full form in terms of total number of questions/tasks, the range of question difficulty across each test, or examples of all question types and formats” In other words, you can’t judge how hard the real SAT will be just going by the questions they released, nor can you judge which one you will be less pressed for time on since we don’t know whether a full test would have more or less difficult questions or which formats will take longer, it’s hard to judge even if you work out proportionately how much time you should take just based on the total number of questions. </p>
<p>It’s great for test prep for two reasons:</p>
<p>1) By partnering with Khan Academy, the CB has finally unequivocally admitted that test prep works (something all of us knew but the CB continued to resist)</p>
<p>2) By making the test even MORE predictable, test prep folks have an even easier time gaming it.</p>
<p>It’s smoke and mirrors more than anything, and smacks of Coleman’s ambition, as if it’s really just an audition for a Dept. of Ed. job.</p>
<p>@marvin100
- This admission would make a difference if large numbers of students still believed CB’s position. I’m guessing the OP, by virtue of the fact that she’s here as a 9th grader, is not laboring under this misconception.</p>
<p>2) Completely agree, but it will NOT be more predictable for a student in the Class of 2017 (the OP), nor will it be for her teachers. She will, instead, be the guinea pig for this exam. It will be predictable down the road. Right now, there is almost a decade’s worth of accumulated wisdom about the current version of the SAT. CB is not yet even willing to commit to the validity of the relatively miniscule number of sample questions.</p>
<p>Your last point - totally agree :)</p>