Stay tuned: big SAT changes coming

[Anonymous]

No details yet, but some big announcement this afternoon (3/5)...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/college-board-plans-sat-announcement/2014/03/05/099d8b3a-a478-11e3-8466-d34c451760b9_story.html

[Anonymous]

This has been in the works for a LONG time. The SAT has been getting its butt kicked (rightfully) by the ACT. If College Board knows how to do one thing it's make money and if a redesign will keep the test dollars flowing, they are all about that.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/02/27/college-board-announces-plans-redesign-sat

[Anonymous]

Here are details on the SAT changes...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/education/major-changes-in-sat-announced-by-college-board.html?hp

Interested in the free online review. Wonder what effect that might have on the test prep industry.

[Anonymous]

The WaPo story has more details.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/sat-to-drop-essay-requirement-and-return-to-top-score-of-1600-in-redesign-of-admission-test/2014/03/05/2aa9eee4-a46a-11e3-8466-d34c451760b9_story.html?hpid=z1

[Anonymous]

This was announced last year, so not that long a time.

[Anonymous]

But today is when the details were unveiled.

[Anonymous]

I'm happy it's going back to the 1600 scale. Showing my age here, but that's what I went to college with, and it's easier for my brain to "translate" scores, since the 1600 scale was what I went through.

Also super happy no more penalty for guessing. That always seemed ridiculous, and was a real advantage the ACT had over SAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm happy it's going back to the 1600 scale. Showing my age here, but that's what I went to college with, and it's easier for my brain to "translate" scores, since the 1600 scale was what I went through.

Also super happy no more penalty for guessing. That always seemed ridiculous, and was a real advantage the ACT had over SAT.

The College Board is so greedy. They saw how the ACT was seriously digging into their profits hence the penalty change. Who are they fooling?

[Anonymous]

All good, except for eliminating the abstruse vocab. I was so good at that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm happy it's going back to the 1600 scale. Showing my age here, but that's what I went to college with, and it's easier for my brain to "translate" scores, since the 1600 scale was what I went through.

Also super happy no more penalty for guessing. That always seemed ridiculous, and was a real advantage the ACT had over SAT.

All about the ducats. Right here in the Post article in black and white.....
Its initiative comes as the 88-year-old test in recent years has slipped behind the rival ACT — a shorter exam with an optional essay — in total student customers.

[Anonymous]

It's such a racket. Racquet? Really, I wish there were a better way.

[Anonymous]

It's all about money, folks. The College Board's new plan is completely predictable. They obviously want to increase the number of test takers by making it shorter and easier in order to regain market share from the ACT.

Then they say they want to align it more with the high school curriculum. Huh? We already measure success in high school curriculum....it's called GPA. The point of the SAT was to measure ability beyond GPA. They are trying to become relevant as some kind of Common Core exit exam.

My prediction: even greater loss of relevance and ultimately market share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was announced last year, so not that long a time.

The announcement was made a year ago, but these changes have been brewing a lot longer than that.

[Anonymous]

My DS is so mad. He probably would have gotten close to a 1600 on the revamped test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is so mad. He probably would have gotten close to a 1600 on the revamped test.

But so would all the other high scorers. Dumbing down the test will are it less relevant.