How will the Changes to the SAT Affect your Student?

 Beginning in March of 2016 college-bound high school students will be taking a new generation of SAT tests. College-Board redesigned the test to measure essential skills for college readiness and even out the playing field for all college-bound students. Their goal is to focus on the Common Core. Changes to the test will have an impact on how students prepare and may ultimately impact how competitive they are for admissions.
The new SAT will return to the 1,600 point scale. The emphasis will now be on more challenging math and the language arts. It is now longer as well.  The new test omits the essay requirement, social sciences, foreign languages, obscure vocabulary words and science!
Following the ACT’s grading it will no longer deduct points for wrong answers.  College Board is trying to attract more students after years of decline.  However, the ACT will be changing as well.
One thing is certain; it is a very different test!  These differences mean there will be a much greater need to prepare. Becoming familiar with the content, test taking strategies and taking practice exams has always provided an advantage for the students who are willing to work on their skills. Given the test is worth up to 40 percent of the college entrance score it would be unwise to take it unprepared.
In the math section, the old SAT only tested students on Geometry and a small amount of Algebra 2. The new SAT will now include Trigonometry, will dive deeper into Algebra 2 and include data analysis in order to align the test with the Common Core.  It’s important to note that since reading and writing will be combined into one 800 point category and math will keep its full 800 point category.  This means that math will now constitute half of your SAT score instead of one-third.
As for the reading section, it will now involve “Evidence Support” questions. The questions will come in pairs where the first asks about a passage and the second ask what evidence you used from the passage to decide on your answer.  There will also be “Data Reasoning” questions testing the student’s ability in Statistics.
Get a jump start at Math Support Services, Inc. We have prepared students for all sections of the SAT & ACT since 1995.  Call us at 661-255-1730 to get your child on the path to a stellar college entrance score.