The representative of the College Board responsible for preparing the new SAT speaks to Notes
The new SAT exam has been causing considerable controversy among students and parents since its launch last year. Taking the old SAT exam and passing it was in itself a challenge and a nerve-wracking process for many.
Now with the addition of new sections and the elimination of old questions, many students are sceptical and anxious about taking the new SAT.
Notes caught up with Joe Estrada from Texas A&M University and representative of the College Board, who spoke about the reasons behind introducing the new SAT, its new sections and how to prepare for it.
Estrada was talking on the sidelines of the American Education Expo held in Dubai last month.
What will the new SAT exam measure?
The new exam is a better tool that focuses on achieving college skills in writing, critical reading and mathematics. It is a way to assess how students use reason along with knowledge and measure how their skills have developed through course work.
The new exam aims at looking at how the students were able to apply what they learned at school, how they analyse information and solve problems the way a college student should be able to do.
What is the reason behind changing the format of the exam?
The rationale behind writing the new SAT is to improve the alignment of the test to the curriculum and instructional practices in high schools and colleges.
We want to be able to analyse the writing skills of students, because after all writing is not optional for college success.
Also, the new SAT provides an opportunity to avoid any confusion due to the loss of grades and papers of students applying to universities.
The test will include the scores for all sections, and college admissions offices will not have to worry about missing papers or incomplete applications. As a whole, the new exam will allow us to compare students on the same standards and measures.
What will be the time allocated for the new exam?
The exam will be for 3 hours and 45 minutes, compared to the old SAT, which was for just 3 hours.
What are the sections of the new SAT?
The test will include a critical reading section that consists of multiple choice questions, the mathematics section, which will make up to 15 to 20 per cent of the questions; it will be enhanced to include some contents from third year college preparatory maths; the new writing section will consist of short essays and multiple-choice questions.
The writing segment will measure the ability of students to develop a point of view on an issue and the use of reasoning and evidence based on personal experiences, readings or observations.
What types of questions were eliminated or added in the new exam?
The analogies questions will disappear from the new test, and short paragraph reading passages will be added to the long reading paragraph students are used to in the SAT exam.
How difficult will the new SAT be?
The difficulty levels of the new and old exams did not change. Adding advanced contents in the new test does not mean tougher questions. When these exams are designed, we at the College Board take them to see how students will be able to answer the questions and solve the problems within the allocated time.
People who wrote the new test do not just create the new format and write tough questions then give it to the students to take. They themselves have to sit through the allocated time and finish it.
How can students prepare for the test?
It is important for students to take rigorous courses in high school, especially three years of mathematics. Students should read and write in and out of school, as much as possible.
Also, they should familiarise themselves with the new SAT format. Taking exams is a skill and all what they need is practice. It is about practising the exam over and over again.
Is there a possibility of eliminating the TOEFL exam after adding the writing section to the new SAT?
There are two different organisations offering the TOEFL test and the SAT. I believe that taking the TOEFL test is mandatory and scores are a necessity for many universities.
For more information on the new SAT visit www.collegeboard.com
