New SAT test format

[healthy11]

www.cnn.com/2016/02/25/health/new-sat-test-anxiety-confusion-students-parents/ and

www.yahoo.com/news/early-takers-sat-wasnt-bad-not-tricky-083900976.html

www.beloitdailynews.com/news/national/early-takers-say-new-sat-wasn-t-so-bad-and/article_55f07132-e71f-53ff-b98e-a601ef69779c.html

Some specifics from the articles:
As of 2016, gone is the vocabulary section, where you had the feeling you encountered words on the SAT that you would never see again in your lifetime. The essay is now optional. Calculators will no longer be allowed during some portions of the math section, and the number of answers to choose from in each question has been cut from five to four.

Students will no longer be penalized for guessing, with their rough score equal to the number of answers they get right, and overall scoring reverts from the 2400 scoring scale back to the old 1600 scoring scale....

It is more of a "text-based test" than the previous version, with more dense text in both the reading and math sections...

The College Board, points to its new partnership with Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization, to provide FREE 24/7 assistance to students and their families as they prepare for the new SAT: www.khanacademy.org/sat

[healthy11]

chronicle.com/article/Theories-Abound-to-Explain/235557

On a related note, it seems the College Board is refusing to let non-students take the new SAT the first time it's offered, in March, and it's upsetting to many people who tutor. One test-prep expert suggested that the College Board might be concerned about "establishing an accurate curve" on the new test during an administration in which hordes of test-prep folks had reportedly registered for the new SAT, but other people aren't so sure...

[healthy11]

Some people claim the new SAT, without the obscure vocabulary portion, is "dumbed down." (Personally, I disagree, but it's their opinion.) www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/20/why-are-we-dumbing-down-the-sat.html

[healthy11]

Some FAQ's:
news.yahoo.com/sat-test-frequently-asked-questions-182928668.html

[healthy11]

The following article points out how, in the past, foreign students may have had an advantage in taking the SAT due to familiarity with past tests, and "leaked" answer keys...at least with a new format, they won't have copies of similar versions.
www.yahoo.com/news/special-report-college-board-gave-sat-exams-knew-182549898.html

4/20/16 update: It seems the College Board may "reuse" tests more often than first thought, even in the U.S.: www.businessinsider.com/students-were-given-old-sats-2016-4

[mnemonic]

SAT Exam New Format has been overhauled holistically. With Mnemonic Education, you’ll get state-of-the-art training with enhanced and thoroughly revamped curriculum and teaching methods. We evolve with the changing requirements.

[healthy11]

Here's an article written by a tutor who just took the revised version of the SAT: www.forbes.com/sites/noodleeducation/2016/05/10/old-dog-new-sat/#33c666534667

[healthy11]

Here's a link to compare scores of the New SAT/Old SAT: apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/new-sat-concordance-tables/2027/

A Washington Post article by Nick Anderson, titled "Why your new SAT score is not as strong as you think it is" says, "Charts the College Board released Monday show that for a vast swath of students, new SAT scores are comparable to results that would have been 60 to 80 points lower on corresponding sections of the old SAT. For instance, if a student earned a score of 1100 on the new SAT, out of a maximum 1600, that would correspond to a score of 1020 on the math and critical reading sections of the old SAT. Same hypothetical student, but two different tests, with an 80-point bump on the newer one."

[healthy11]

The following article says that being able to answer quickly (speed) is the main factor in getting high scores on the new SAT: www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2016/06/05/i-took-the-sat-heres-what-i-learned/#1b72d34a1bfb

[healthy11]

www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2016/07/01/is-the-college-board-making-the-sat-more-difficult-for-women/#14a7e33e4100 says that,"Over the last several decades, men have consistently scored over 30 points higher than women on the math SAT." Sadly, it points out examples of questions on the new SAT that reinforce gender bias.

[healthy11]

The College Board has experienced yet another security breach, which has leaked new SAT questions in advance of the tests: www.yahoo.com/news/special-report-massive-breach-exposes-hundreds-sat-questions-175157348.html

[kewpie]

I have my dd starting an SAT prep course on Saturday. I saw the entrepreneur who started the course on Shark tank and he really impressed me. He got a deal with Mark Cuban. I hope the course lives up to its hype!!

www.prepexpert.com/?gclid=CI-lwo_ups4CFYhsfgodlegMsw

[healthy11]

On the topic of SAT testing, there had been discussion about a new "adversity score," intended to help level the playing field for students of diverse social and economic backgrounds who take the SAT admissions test, but who don't have the benefit of things such as test prep courses, or parents who previously attended college. The "adversity score" concept has been dropped, and The College Board said it would instead rely on an updated version of its environmental context dashboard, a tool called "Landscape."

www.yahoo.com/news/sat-college-board-drops-adversity-score-200146107.html

www.huffpost.com/entry/sat-college-board-drops-adversity-score_n_5d657a68e4b022fbceb2344b