THE NEW SAT

High school students who take the SAT in 2016 will face a very different test than those who came before them.

The test will include three sections — evidence-based reading and writing, math and an optional essay — each retooled to stop students from simply filling a bubble on the test sheet.

Here are the eight ways the SAT is changing this year:
1) Free test prep: Thanks to a new partnership with Khan Academy, students will be able to access high-quality online test prep without signing up for programs.
2) No penalty for wrong answers: Students won’t be penalized for wrong answers anymore, which means an end to the days of staring at the bubble sheet and guessing whether it’s worth it to guess.
3) Revamped essay: Instead of penning a personal essay for the writing section, students taking the new SAT will be asked to read a passage and then explain how the author is persuading the audience.
4) Evidence-focused reading:  Students will be asked a question about the text, and then asked which piece of evidence best supports that answer. That means if you get the first question wrong, it could be difficult to get the second question right.
5) No more obscure vocabulary:  The new SAT asks students to define a word based on how it’s used in context.
6) More graphs and charts: The new test will have an increased emphasis on questions that make students infer information from graphs and charts, especially in the reading section.
7) More great texts: The new SAT reading section will include excerpts from U.S. founding documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as other important works by authors including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will not be expected to be familiar with the documents beforehand
8) The Score: The test will shift from its current score scale of 2400 back to 1600, with a separate score for the essay. No longer will test takers be penalized for choosing incorrect answers.

The redesigned test will take about three hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the essay, and will be administered by print and computer; the current test is available on paper only.  



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