New SAT makes testing more amicable

The new SAT is scheduled for March 5. Princeton Review calls it the biggest change to the SAT in 30 years. Senior students don’t need to worry about the change, but anyone taking the test from March onward will experience its upgrade.

There will be fewer sections but longer breaks, according to College Board. This is better than before, because students can hyperfocus and get down to work without the interruptions of snack breaks. The point system has been reverted to its old ways. 2400 points on the SAT will now be impossible; the highest score is 1600 on the new test.

The new test helps to even the standards among students by more accurately measuring ability. College Board created an alliance with Khan Academy, and as a result, all students have access to free online test prep. This serves to help students by giving them equal access to education.

According to Time magazine, the new SAT no longer doles quarter-point penalties for incorrect answers. Answers are also more likely to be correct, as there are only four multiple-choice responses rather than its previous five.

The essay portion is no longer an argumentative essay. Instead, students will analyze a passage and explain how the author of the passage is influencing the reader. While this may give AP English Language students the upper hand, the essay, like before, is still optional. Depending on the colleges to which students are applying, however, it may be required. This is more fair to students who learned English as a second language and may find difficulty in writing.

The math section is also changing. It will have “a heavy emphasis on Algebra,” according to Kaplan Test Prep. For students struggling in math, it will be a huge help to solve less complicated equations. Some smaller sections even allow the use of a calculator, meaning that students are no longer required to be walking, talking, human computers.

In the past, the SAT was an aptitude test. However, as years rolled by, it became quite clear that the SAT was shifting into a business. Students paid hundreds for test prep and retakes all to take a test biased in favor of richer students with greater access to educational resources.

The new SAT is realistic and asks for what students will actually need to know in the future. To score well, students need a basic understanding of English, a basic understanding of math and toned critical thinking skills. It makes more sense in the grand scheme because students need to hone problem-solving skills more than they need to memorize math formulas they won’t see after tenth grade.

Some students are apprehensive at the thought of a new test to study for. However, students will undoubtedly score better. The new SAT tests skills students have developed over the course of their entire lives. In this way, performance is tested rather than useless information. An easier test will bring greater opportunities for students who finally have a chance to show what they know.

Test takers will no longer need to memorize obscure words to score well, because the test finally makes sense for once. Goodbye, “amicable,” and hello to a practical, student-friendly test!