By Lauren Farberman
Staff Writer
Starting March 5, 2016 students will be taking a completely new and redesigned SAT. Some of the altercations include an optional analytical essay, a new grading scale out of 1600, no penalty for guessing and three sections of math that contain the most useful and relevant math topics to college and careers.
The new format of the test puts a focus on the meaning of vocabulary terms rather than memorizing definitions. It also will emphasize how word choice shapes the tone and mood of a sentence, all of which is applicable for students because they can use those acquired writing skills in college or their career.
The new SAT is superior to the former SAT for students because the new format revolves around the idea of testing students on information applicable to everyday life.
The essay section of the exam is now optional, fifty minutes, and given at the end of the test rather than the beginning, making it similar to the ACT. The longer time frame will give students more time to collect their thoughts. This is beneficial for students because they will have more time to write a cohesive essay that adequately addressed the prompt.
The essay results were formerly scaled to the multiple choice writing section, but now essay results will be reported separately. The essay for the old SAT required students to write an argumentative essay while the new prompt is to write and an analytical essay.
Colleges will determine whether or not the essay will be required for the application process. For students who are interested in schools not requiring the essay, they can choose not to take it. Students who are not strong in writing will have a better chance with acceptance into the colleges where the essay is not required, according to Mira Costa College and Career Center member Caryn Ramirez. This is also beneficial for those students so they can put their efforts into the portion of the test other than the essay according to Ramirez.
Another change is the shorter length of the exam, which could be better for students who have trouble focusing for long periods of time according to Ramirez. Without the essay, the new SAT has 180 minutes allotted for the test and 154 questions, whereas the current exam has a length of 230 minutes and 171 questions.
However, the changes are becoming more aligned with common core all of which could be more difficult for students depending on whether their school is as immersed in common core teaching as others according to Ramirez. Students who do not feel educated enough on common core learning standards can access free SAT study prep courses and practice questions online.
The new test will emphasize long-term learning rather than the short term cramming currently offered in many test prep courses. Additionally, there will be no last-minute tricks but instead the learning students do over years each day will be utilized.
The improved version of the SAT is better than the previous version because of its improvements to make the test preparation reasonable to prepare for, but rather it tests students on information useful for life and prepares them for college and careers.
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