As of March 2016, students across the U.S. will take a new SAT test. This version differs from the current one and may require different preparation. If your children are in high school, they may take this exam as an entrance test to get into college. Here is what you need to know:
What is the SAT?
The current SAT tests are 3 hours and 45 minutes long and involve critical reading, writing, math and essay sections. The new test, as of March 2016, will be only 3 hours long with an optional 50-minute extension for the essay portion. It tests students' evidence-based reading, writing, language and math skills. Some post-secondary schools require applicants to take the essay portion, so be sure your kids check with the colleges they are applying to before taking the SAT.
Score reporting is also changing. Currently, students are graded on a scale of 600 to 2400. In the future, the general scale will be between 400 and 1600. This means if you have kids who have already taken the SAT, they will not be able to accurately compare their scores if they retake the exam. The current exam also does not include subscore reporting, meaning students do not know how they did on each individual test. The new version, however, does provide this information as it better informs the college if an applicant is ready to attend higher education.
Preparing for the SAT
If your high schoolers take the Common Core State Standards test, they are already preparing for the SAT. The Common Core has similar subject matter and taking the standardized test is very similar to the SAT. Besides this preparation, students should see the SAT website to complete sample questions and check out the SAT Study Guide for Students. The site also provides practice tests which exemplify what your kids will see on test day and can give them confidence.
There is even a free daily practice app that provides students with a question every day from the reading, writing, language or math sections of the exam. Students can ask for a hint if they're having trouble and then learn the right answer if they get the question wrong. The app goes on to explain the right answer, which is very helpful to students as they may see these exact questions on the real SAT.
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