The SAT is Changing: The Top 5 Changes Announced This Week

Well, well, well, just when we were getting used to this mandatory writing section added to the SAT in 2005, changes are upon us again.

In a live conference held by the president of the College Board, David Coleman, major changes were announced to the SAT to begin in 2016.  Here are the top five biggest changes.

1.     The essay is no longer mandatory.

The essay will be an optional 50-minute section at the end of the test and it will be scored separately.

2.     Sentence completions are no longer on the test.

No longer do you have to learn obscure words to do well on this part of the test. The test will focus on more commonly used vocabulary words whose meanings depend on context.

3.     There is a math section where a calculator will NOT be allowed.

4.     There is no longer a penalty for incorrect answers.

The test will be scored like tests students take everyday. Points will be earned for correct answers and students are encouraged to choose their best answer choice for each question.

5.     The score will be scaled from 400 to 1600 again.

The new Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section will each be scored on a scale from 200-800.

The College Board is making these changes to become more relevant in detecting college readiness. Some changes to the SAT seem to make it more similar to the ACT, another college entrance exam students are allowed to take. The full details about the new exam and sample items will be available on April 16, 2014.

Stay tuned for more information about the changes to the SAT and what this means for you.  Remember with any test, it is important to be prepared. Success Prep offers preparation for the SAT and other standardized tests to help you succeed.