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As of March 2005, teens with college dreams are tackling a whole new SAT. The new exam has substantial changes to the math and verbal sections – and for the first time will include a writing component.

The new exam debuted on March 12, 2005. According to the College Board, which produces the SAT and test-prep materials, the new SAT reflects the higher level learning expected in most high schools today.

The SAT (short for Scholastic Aptitude Test) is widely believed to be a good indicator of how well students will do with college-level learning. For this reason, most four-year colleges and universities — including those in the SUNY system — require that applicants take and report their scores on the SATs.

A look at the new test
The new test has three sections: math, critical reading (formerly the verbal section) and a new writing section. Listed below is information on each of the three sections, scoring and cost: 

• Math: The new math section has fewer “quantitative comparisons” (problems where students compare equations in “column A” and “column B” and decide which is larger) and more higher-level math (Algebra II). Students are given more time to complete this section. 
  
• Critical Reading: In this portion of the new SAT, students  read brief passages (100 to 200 words) and answer multiple-choice questions about them. Gone from this section are analogies — test questions that ask students to figure out the relationships between phrases or terms, such as “bird is to nest” as “beaver is to dam.”
  
• Writing: The new SAT essay question is designed to show how well students use writing to express their thoughts and support their ideas about a topic in a limited amount of time. The writing section also includes multiple-choice questions on improving sentences and paragraphs and identifying grammar errors. 
  
• Scoring: Each of the three sections is now be worth 200 to 800 points. The maximum a student can score is 2,400 vs. 1,600 on the old test. 
  
• Price: The cost of taking the new SAT is about $41.50 — an increase of $10-12 over what is charged for the previous exam. 

The PSAT/NMSQT changed, too
A new version of the PSAT/NMSQT, the test that many sophomores and juniors take as a warm-up to the SAT, was given for the first time in October 2204.

Though similarly revised, the PSAT does not include a writing section or Algebra II questions, in part because most sophomores and juniors will not have yet taken enough of this higher-level math to do well with these questions.

Should every teen take the SAT?
Any teen who plans to apply to a four-year college should take the SAT tests -— as well as the PSAT/NMSQT.

Though many community colleges and vocational programs do not require the SAT, this doesn’t mean that teens heading to two-year schools shouldn’t bother with the exam. Many of these students end up transferring to a four-year school. Moreover, a teen’s SAT scores may be solid enough to put him or her in line for a scholarship or acceptance at a school they thought was out of their reach. 

For more information or to register for an SAT exam date, visit the College Board Web site at www.collegeboard.org.

How is Monticello preparing students for the new exam? To find out, click here.

For SAT preparation tips, click here.

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