For students taking the SAT college entrance exam in spring 2016 and later, it won’t be like their older siblings’ exam.
The College Board on Wednesday announced the redesigned test, including switching from 2400 points back to 1600 points.
In addition:
- Calculator use will be limited to certain portions, not all of the math section. Math questions will focus on key topics, called problem solving and data analysis; heart of algebra; and passport to advanced math.
- Reading answers will require evidence to support them. Sentence completions are gone. Vocabulary words will be chosen for their power, not their obscurity.
- Source documents will come from a wider range of academic disciplines, and every test will include text from one of America’s founding documents or the global conversations they have inspired.
- An essay won’t be required, but instead will be optional, yielding a separate score.
- And there’s no penalty for wrong answers, each of which now costs a quarter-point.
“We hope you breathe a sigh of relief that this exam will be focused, useful, open, clear and aligned with the work you do throughout high school,” said College Board president David Coleman in making the announcement.
Full story: College Board revamps SAT college entrance exam for spring 2016 Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/5/2014
