The New SAT - Top 10 Things You Should Know

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The SAT is changing, but there's no reason to get testy about it. In fact, students and parents should be somewhat relieved. The new test is expected to be easier to beat than the old test and is considered more coachable. The biggest change to the test is the addition of a new writing section, meaning there will now be three parts to the SAT: Math, Critical Reading (formerly the Verbal section), and Writing.  

New SAT vs. Current SAT ... At A Glance

1. Who should take the new SAT?
Any student in the class of 2006, 2007, or any year after that should take ONLY the new SAT. Here's why: All schools will accept the new test for that age group, but many schools have already said they will not accept the current SAT from them. The class of 2005 should take the current SAT.

2. Cost
It will cost more money to take the new SAT. The price of taking the test will increase by $10 to $12 dollars, bringing the total price up to approximately $38, depending on where you live.

3. The best way to prep
The key to prepping for the new SAT is to make sure your learning materials are up-to-date and reflect the changes made to the new test. If you use a private tutor or take a class, be sure your instructor is trained and certified to teach the new SAT--many aren't yet

4. What about the new PSAT?
It's a good idea for anyone planning to take the new SAT to take the new PSAT first. It's great practice for the new test because it mirrors the changes in the new SAT with two exceptions: It will not include an essay question and it will not have any Algebra II on it.

5. The first new SAT
People in the testing industry expects that the first new SAT administered to be graded on a slightly more lenient curve than other SATs.

6. How the new test is scored
Each of the three sections on the new SAT is scored on a 200- to 800-point scale. The max score (equivalent to a 1,600 on the current SAT) is a 2,400. The median score will be somewhere around 1,500, 1,800 will be a good score, and 2,100 or above means you're going Ivy League.

7. Changes to the math section--the math adds up
There will be advanced math questions (Algebra II) on the new SAT. But there will also be a few Algebra II. There will be NO quantitative comparison questions on the new SAT. (Quantitative comparisons ask students to compare an equation in "column A" with "column B" and say which is greater.)

8. The new writing section is beatable--end of story
The new writing section is supposed to test a student's grasp of grammar and diction. It will have some questions requiring students to identify errors in sentences and paragraphs, and it will have an essay.  The graders will be looking for specific qualities in each essay (such as organization and supporting statements) rather than writing style.

9. Changes to the verbal section--the last word
First, some good news: Analogies will be completely eliminated from the test! Maybe someone at the College Board finally decided that knowing the relationship between a "gregarious agrarian" and a "cantankerous crustacean" has very little to do with what college a student should get into. There will also be some sentence completion questions, and a new short reading section. The short reading section will consist of a few short passages (100-200 words) followed by several questions. The section is expected to be straightforward and relatively simple. One more thing, the Verbal section will now be called the Critical Reading section.

So those are the basic changes. The new sections and questions are all easy to handle if students have prepped well. But remember, not everything about the new SAT will be different from the current one. Both tests are pretty formulaic in that they ask specific types of questions.