While the College Board has aptly addressed certain long-held criticisms of the SAT with the arrival of a refined test in 2016, the changes do not satisfy the underlying problem: the SAT does not accurately determine a student’s readiness for college.
Studies show that grade point averages are more indicative of undergraduate success than test scores. In fact, a recent report of colleges with “test-optional admission policies” found that there were no significant differences in either graduation rates or cumulative grade point averages between those who submitted test scores and those who did not.
In an ideal world, standardized tests would not be used to estimate the quality of a student, but the weight that they will continue to hold in the college admissions process cannot be ignored, as an alternative method has yet to be found.
With this in mind, the College Board’s decision to alter the test in order to better gauge what students study in high school is a step in the right direction – even if market competition with the recent success of the ACT was likely a main motivator.
The main problem that these types of tests encounter is the tendency to evaluate test-taking ability over actual knowledge. The new SAT helps address this by no longer deducting points for wrong answers. According to college counselor Gail Currey, eliminating the penalty for wrong answers will most likely reduce test anxiety, a benefit for students who struggle in a test-taking atmosphere.
The new test also attempts to reform the essay portion, which has been criticized for not being a fair evaluation, due to the 25-minute time constraint. The now optional essay section gives students 50 minutes to analyze a passage and use evidentiary skills in their writing. Not only will requiring students to cite facts from a reading more effectively test their proficiency in comprehension and analysis, but, according to Currey, it is also a skill that common occurs in college classes.
The new overhaul of the SAT, which reverts to the original 1,600 point scale, will also eliminate “arcane” vocabulary and incorporate more commonly used words. This adjustment will hopefully eliminate the frantic flashcard studying method that students use to memorize words that they are discovering for the first time and more properly assess what high school students have actually learned.
The College Board also announced a partnership with the non-profit online tutoring service Khan Academy to offer free online test prep, attempting to bridge the gap between families that can afford extensive, personalized test prep and those that cannot. Though the gesture is considerate and innovative, it is hard to say if this partnership is not merely marketing propaganda and will actually produce substantial results, as the multi-billion dollar private test prep industry is nowhere near decline.
The question as to whether or not the new test will more accurately predict a student’s success in college will only be answered with time. As of now, it is understood that standardized tests will never be flawless in their attempt to measure students’ aptitudes, but the new SAT does seem to positively address the controversy.
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