Sports Editor
For
the first time since 2005, the SAT college exam will be undergoing sweeping
changes. The test to be released in spring 2016 will shift from its current
2,400 point scale back to the original 1,600 point scale. This year’s freshman class,
the class of 2017, will be the first to take the revised test. In order to change the scale, the essay
portion of the test will become optional. If students choose to write the
essay, they will receive a separate score for their writing.
Starting
in spring 2015, the College Board will be partnering with the popular
educational website Khan Academy to provide free test preparation materials.
The website will offer tools such as exercises, software diagnostics and
videos. Additionally, the new SAT can now be taken on a computer in select
locations, while still giving students the option to take the test in print.
As
part of the overhaul, the redesigned SAT will do away with useless vocabulary
words such as “proclivity” or “zephyr,”
replacing them with words that are more relevant to the lives of students, such
as “empirical” or “synthesize.” The reading and writing sections will include
questions that require students to cite evidence for their answer choices, and
the math section will no longer allow the use of a calculator on every portion.
One of the biggest changes that the SAT will undergo
is the removal of the wrong answer penalty. In the past, a correct answer was
worth one point while each incorrect answer came with a penalty of a quarter of
a point. Now, students will earn points for the questions they answer correctly
and will receive no penalty for wrong answers. The College Board hopes this
move will encourage students to give the best answer they have to each
question.
So, why the change? The College Board says it wants
students to be taking a test that will better prepare them for college and
create more opportunities for them. Another potential reason is the rise of the
ACT, an exam that has gained popularity as many states adopt it as part of
their standardized testing program. In 2011, more students took the ACT than
took the SAT, which may have prompted the College Board to revise the SAT due to
various criticisms of the effectiveness and
fairness of the test.
