11 things you need to know about the new SAT

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The College Board on Wednesday announced the biggest changes to the SAT in nearly a decade. College Board President, David Coleman, says that the new test will offer “worthy challenges, not artificial obstacles,” making it clear that the difficulty level of the SAT is about to be raised.

Here’s what you need to know about the new SAT:

  1. The new test will not be implemented until 2016. If you plan to take the test before 2016, these changes will not affect you.
  2. Instead of arcane “SAT words” that often are not used outside of the SAT, the vocabulary words on the new SAT will be ones commonly used in college courses and in the real world such as “synthesis”.
  3. Scoring will return to the 1600 scale, based on a top score of 800 in verbal and math. The essay will have a separate score.
  4. Points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers.
  5. The essay will become optional. For students who choose to write the essay, they will be asked to read a passage and to analyze how the author used reasoning and evidence to build his or her argument.
  6. The Math section of the new SAT will contain complex equations, or functions; linear equations; and percentages, ratios, and proportional reasoning. Calculators will only be permitted on small parts of the math section, requiring that SAT takers in 2016 know how to work out equations by hand.
  7. On April 16th, 2014 the College Board is going to release the blueprint for the new SAT at deliveringopportunity.org.
  8. The new SAT will include a reading passage from either one of the nation’s “founding documents,” such as the Declaration of Independence, or from one important document that is a part of a contemporary global discussion.
  9. The core skills of reading, writing, and math will continue to be tested.
  10. The changes are not just cosmetic, but once sample problems are released by the College Board, the scope and impact of the changes will become clearer. No matter how extensive those changes are, you can prepare for them.
  11. Discipline and focused effort will pay off. As you practice with representative problems and rehearse your skills, your performance will improve.