The New SAT®
What Does It
Mean for
Students?
The New SAT Focuses on
College Success™ Skills
• Critical Reading
• Mathematics
• Writing
The SAT® tests students’ reasoning based on knowledge
and skills developed through their course work.
It measures their ability to analyze and solve problems
by applying what they have learned in school.
3
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Time Frame
• October 2004: New PSAT/NMSQT®
• March 2005: New SAT
4
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Time Frame
Class of 2006 will take new SAT
• Class of 2005—current seniors
• Current SAT as seniors in fall 2004
• New SAT as seniors in March 2005 (if necessary)
• Class of 2006—current juniors
• New PSAT/NMSQT as juniors in fall 2004
• New SAT as juniors in March 2005 and later
• New SAT as seniors
5
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
The Changes to the SAT and the
PSAT/NMSQT®
Verbal
• Name will be changed to critical reading.
• Analogies will be eliminated.
• Short reading passages will replace analogies
and will measure the kind of reasoning formerly
measured by analogies.
6
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
The Changes to the SAT and the
PSAT/NMSQT
Math
• Quantitative comparisons will be eliminated.
• The content is being expanded to reflect the mathematics that
college-bound students typically learn during their first three years
of high school.
• The reasoning aspects of the test together with the expanded content
will more effectively assess the mathematics necessary for student success
in college.
• Math content on the PSAT/NMSQT will also be enhanced, but it will
not include Algebra II because most students will not be familiar with
that level of math.
7
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
The Changes to the SAT and the
PSAT/NMSQT
Writing
• Multiple-choice grammar and usage questions
• Will measure the student’s understanding of how to use language in a
clear, consistent manner, how to revise and edit, and how to recognize
an error in a sentence.
• Student-written essay (SAT only)
• Will measure the student’s use of language: logical presentation of
ideas, development of a point of view, and clarity of expression under
timed conditions.
• Essay practice tool provided AT NO COST to all schools administering
the PSAT/NMSQT.
8
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
The Changes to the SAT and the
PSAT/NMSQT
Skills Feedback
• The PSAT/NMSQT provides individualized
feedback to students through its Score
Report Plus.
• The College Board is developing a similar tool
for the SAT.
9
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Time Specifications
PSAT/NMSQT
Current PSAT/NMSQT
10
New PSAT/NMSQT
2 hours 10 minutes
2 hours 10 minutes
Critical
Reading
50 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
50 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
Math
50 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
50 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
Writing
30 minutes
One 30-minute
multiple-choice section
30 minutes
One 30-minute
multiple-choice section
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Time Specifications
SAT
Current SAT
Critical Reading
Math
3 hours
3 hours 45 minutes
75 minutes
70 minutes
Two 30-minute sections and
one 15-minute section
Two 25-minute sections and
75 minutes
70 minutes
Two 30-minute sections and
one 15-minute section
Two 25-minute sections and
11
one 20-minute section
one 20-minute section
60 minutes
Two multiple-choice sections (one
25-minute section and
one 10-minute section) and
one 25-minute essay
Writing
Variable Section
New SAT
30 minutes
25 minutes
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Test Content and Question Types
Current SAT
Critical
Reading
Sentence Completion
Sentence Completion
Critical Reading: Long reading passages
Critical Reading: Short and long reading passages
Analogies
Multiple-choice items, student-produced
responses, and quantitative comparisons
measuring:
Math
New SAT
Number and Operations;
Algebra I and Functions;
Geometry; and Statistics, Probability,
and Data Analysis.
Multiple-choice items and student-produced
responses measuring:
Number and Operations;
Algebra I, II, and Functions;
Geometry; and Statistics, Probability,
and Data Analysis
Multiple-choice: Improving sentences and paragraphs
and identifying errors.
Writing
12
Student-written essay: Effectively communicate a
point of view on an issue, supporting a position with
reasoning and examples.
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
Test Scores
Current SAT
New SAT
Critical Reading
V 200–800
CR 200–800
Math
M 200–800
M 200–800
W 200–800
Will include 2 subscores:
Writing
Essay
2–12
(1/3 of writing score)
Multiple-choice 20–80
(2/3 of writing score)
13
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
How Students Can Prepare
Students should:
• Challenge themselves throughout high school by taking rigorous
courses, including at least 3 years of math
• Read and write as much as possible—both in and outside of school
• Familiarize themselves with the SAT so they know what to expect
on test day
• Familiarize themselves with the different types of questions on the
SAT, the directions for each type of question, and how the test is
scored.
• Take the new PSAT/NMSQT in October 2004—the new
PSAT/NMSQT will be the best preparation for the new SAT
14
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
www.collegeboard.com
15
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004
www.collegeboard.com
16
The New SAT: What Does It Mean for Students? June, 2004