What the new SAT means for juniors

Effective March 2016, the new SAT, created by College Board, will replace the SAT that has been used for the past 11 years. In thoroughly altering the content of the exam, changes have come as a result of feedback from colleges, including more critical thinking and realistic situations that a student may actually face. In addition, the essay portion has become optional.

Time and Ivy Global have provided clear comparisons between the current and new SAT.

Although the changes made in the revised SAT are meant to be for the best, many students are pessimistic about being guinea pigs.

The current SAT consists of three sections (reading, writing, and math) which each count for 200-800 points, allowing for a total of 2400 points to be earned; the new test consists of only two sections which both includes reading and writing together, and math.  With each section still counting for 200-800 points each, a total of 1600 points can be earned.

For students whose strengths are math, this is good news, but otherwise– not so much.  As someone whose strength is definitely in linguistics, a whopping 50% being math is pretty intimidating.

Further, the essay being optional is not necessarily something positive.  With the new SAT being made to relate more closely to what students have and will study in school, the essay portion seems essential.  With colleges using the SAT to predict how much an individual will succeed, they will be removing a substantial amount of importance given to linguistics. Because students are more likely to have to write essays in college than to have math take up half of their classes, these factors do not add up.

On the other hand, there are several positive changes being made.  Thankfully, this SAT does hold true to relating more to real life in various aspects.

While the SAT has been infamous for obscure vocabulary for years, this will no longer be the case. A significant modification will be less obscure vocabulary, and the ability to draw conclusions from context clues.  No longer will students have to memorize the definitions of words that they will never use again, like panacea and zephyr.

Additionally, there will be no penalty for wrong answers.  Now, students can answer the questions they feel confident about and the ones that are more questionable without having to wonder if they’re worth guessing on.

Regardless of the advantages associated with the modified SAT, students may find a downside in lacking the perfected resources that come with the current exam. However, Khan Academy is providing free online test prep, meaning that students who cannot afford to pay for the prep that comes with the SAT will have easy access to significant help.

Those who look down on the new SAT may be opponents of change, but change can be good. To take advantage of this new SAT, students need a positive outlook to face the challenge of an adjustment head-on.