With the announcement of the new digital SAT, College Board has left some key details out, especially regarding how the exam will be scored. The typical message has been somewhat dismissive, assuring us that the scoring is handled by their finely tuned algorithm and that it’s complicated. Through analysis of the new SAT’s scoring, it was found that each test question is weighted, with some questions having a greater impact on scores than others do.…
The College Board has announced plans to shift the SAT to an entirely computer-based format, trading the traditional paper test booklets and No.2 pencils for a smarter, shorter, digital test experience. Moreover, the digital SAT will be an adaptive test. Since College Board has now posted official specs and samples for the new SAT, here’s an overview of the information they released. When, where, and what is it? The new SAT will be released in…
As more than two-thirds of all U.S. colleges and universities continue to make admissions decisions without requiring ACT or SAT scores, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology made news by restoring its admissions testing requirement. Exam supporters jumped on the story, suggesting a wave of similar decisions at other schools. One story declared that the SAT isn’t unfair, society is, as if both couldn’t be true. Such reactions based in the false notion that standardized test…
All eight Ivy League colleges have gone test optional for the high school class of 2023, choosing to suspend the requirement for SAT and ACT scores and joining hundreds of other universities, including Stanford, who have also agreed to let students decide whether they want to submit test scores with their application. “Test Optional” means a student can choose NOT to submit a test score for any reason. Instead of the scores, test-optional schools say…
The SAT is going digital. College Board has announced that beginning in 2023, the digital SAT suite of assessments will be available to all students. They will make the transition to the digital SAT at international test centers in March of 2023 and at U.S. schools and test centers in spring of 2024. Additionally, all PSAT assessments will be administered digitally beginning in the fall of 2023. Here’s what isn’t changing in regards to the…
This week has been full of announcements about the ACT and SAT changes. When the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult or impossible for many students to take the ACT and the SAT last year, a large majority of colleges chose to institute temporary (or, in some cases, permanent) test-optional policies. These schools included every Ivy League university, most large public universities, and many liberal arts colleges. A number of colleges, including several Ivies, are declaring…
College Board has made two big announcements in the world of college admissions: for students in the US, both the SAT Subject Tests and the SAT essay writing section will be discontinued beginning this year. Previously, there were 20 Subject Tests in five areas: math, English, science, history, and languages. Some colleges used the scores for admissions purposes, while other colleges used the scores for placement purposes; students might have been able to opt out…
COVID-19 has changed all aspects of our lives, and that includes standardized testing. Here is how the global pandemic affects SAT test-taking. To keep students safe, and in alignment with public health guidance and school closures across 192 countries, the SAT and SAT Subject Tests in May and June 2020 are canceled. If it is safe from a public health standpoint, weekend SAT administrations will be provided every month through the end of the calendar…
Educators and students can use their PSAT/NMSQT scores to see areas where students are thriving, and areas where they need additional support. PSAT/NMSQT scores are on the same scale as SAT scores, making it easy to track student progress over time. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT score higher, on average, on the SAT than those who do not. SAT Practice Starts with the PSAT/NMSQT The new SAT is easier than ever to prepare for with free,…
Are you nervous about taking the SAT? When I began my junior year, my teachers and administrators flooded me with tons of information regarding the SAT. I remember walking into Barnes and Noble and seeing a huge 4-inch wide book with “S.A.T. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW” in big block letters printed on its bindings. Anxiety pulsed through my veins, and I thought to myself: do I really need that? In reality, when students begin…
