Out with the old and in with the new SAT format. Part 1
The College Board is about to roll out the new SAT format starting in March 2023 for international students. Overall the new format should be positive, the main advantage is that the new format will have a lot less reading and will be less wordy. The redesign is the College Board’s response to address the problems of cheating, access, administration and stressfulness the current test supposedly causes. It is also in response to many colleges dropping out of mandatory testing and becoming test optional in admissions. The new format should make it easier for students to access, be less stressful, and cheaper to administer, therefore more likely to pay the money for the test - which ultimately drives College Board’s decision making. Below are the main differences between the old test and the new test formats.
| OLD SAT | NEW SAT |
|---|---|
| 4 Sections | 2 Sections |
| 154 Questions | 100 Questions |
| 3 Hours ( 180 Min ) | 2 Hours ( 134 Min ) |
| Results Take Weeks | Results Take Days |
| Less Time Per Question | More Time Per Question |
| More Reading / Wordy | Less Reading / Wordy |
| Only Some Math Sections Use Calculator | All Math Sections Can Use Calculator |
| Pencil And Paper At Test Site | All Digital Test Taken At Test Site |
One of the most interesting aspects of the test is that each test will be unique to the test taker. There are 5 questions or introductory sections of the test that students answer. The way and results of these first questions will determine the difficulty and types of questions they will receive on their unique test. I suspect that this may produce some interesting debates in the near future but for now that is the way the test will be administered.
Some of the things that are not changing on the test questions are:
- Tests still need to be taken at a test center.
- The scoring is still 800 verbal and 800 math for a total of 1600.
- All questions are still multiple choice.
- There will still be accommodations for students who need extra help due to learning difficulties.
My overall assessment is that Asian students are probably going to do better overall then they have in the past. My reasoning for this is that there will be a lot less importance placed on your ability to read English. A more clear to the point format is going to be a scoring boost for most Asian students.
Please join me next week when I go over some ways you should be preparing for the test.
Famous Alumni
Doctor and Politician Ron Paul is a biology graduate from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He later went on to earn his doctor of medicine degree from Duke University. Dr. Paul then served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force before becoming a politician and one of America’s most notable conservatives.
