Inside the PSAT, SAT, & ACT Revisions
Welcome!
1
2
ACT Updates
PSAT & SAT Overhaul
The Transition Year
3
Test Changes
College Admissions and
Your Student
Test Change Timeline
ACT:
Enhanced
Scoring +
Writing
Test
SAT:
New Test
Launches
PSAT:
New Test
Launches
SAT:
2nd to
Last
Current
Test
Mar 2015
June 2015
Test Changes
Sept 2015 Oct 2015
SAT:
Last
Current
Test
Dec 2015 Jan 2016
Mar 2016
Updated ACT Overview
Category
Features
 No changes to 1-36 scoring
 New scores reported
Scoring




Math
More probability & statistics
Reading
New paired passages
Test Changes
ELA
STEM
Career Readiness
Text Complexity
Updated ACT Overview
Category
Essay
Test Changes
Features
 Now requires analysis of 3 different
perspectives
 More scores provided
 Ideas and analysis
 Development and support
 Organization
 Language use
New SAT Overview
Category
Structure
Timing
Scoring
Test Changes
Features
 Evidence-based Reading & Writing
 Math
 Optional Essay
3 hours + 50 minutes with Optional Essay
 Now scored on a scale of 1600
 New optional Essay scored separately
 No more guessing penalty
Scoring Details
Composite Score
 Sum of the two Area Scores
 Range of 400 - 1600
Area Score
Area Score
 Math
 Range of 200 - 800
 Evidence-Based
Reading + Writing
 Range of 200 - 800
Test & Cross-Test Scores
 3 Test Scores: Math, Reading, and Writing & Language
 2 Cross-Test Scores: Science, History/Social Studies
 Range of 10 - 40
Test Changes
New SAT Overview
Category
Evidencebased
Reading &
Writing
Features
 Reading and Writing combined into new
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
Area
 Passage topics include US and World Literature,
History/Social Studies, and Sciences
 Reading details:
 500 - 750 word passages
 65 minutes
 Writing and Language details:
 400 - 500 word passages
 35 minutes
Test Changes
New SAT Overview
Category
Features
 Three areas of concentrated focus:
 Problem solving and data analysis
 “The Heart of Algebra”
 “Passport to Advanced Math”
Math
 New enhanced grid-in
 Multi-step student constructed response
question
 80 minutes
 25 minutes without a calculator
 55 minutes with a calculator
Test Changes
New SAT Overview
Category
Essay
Features





Test Changes
Optional
50 minutes
Read & analyze a 650-750 word document
Write about how the author builds an
argument
Tests reading, analysis, and writing skills
PSAT/NMSQT Overview
Category
Structure
Features
Aligned with the New SAT, and almost
the same length
Timing
2 hours, 45 minutes
Scoring
 Now scored on a scale of 320-1520
 No more guessing penalty
Test Changes
PSAT & New SAT Scoring
SAT: 400-1600
PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520
300
600
900
1200
Composite Score Range
Test Changes
1500
New PSAT Score Report
Test Changes
New PSAT Score Report
Test Changes
Reading
Test Changes
Math
Numbers & Operations
Essay
Rhetorical Skills
Grammar/Usage/Mechanics
Trig
Geometry
Geometry
AlgebraAlgebra
Data Analysis/Problem Solving
Words
SAT
Evidence-based
Words in Context
Reading Comprehension
Current SAT vs. New SAT
Writing & Language
New SAT and ACT: 5 Key Differences
1. The New SAT has a greater focus on History &
Social Studies passages
ACT?
New
SAT?
What’s the
Difference?
2. Both focus on Algebra, but the New SAT has a
greater emphasis on Data Analysis & Problem
Solving
3. The ACT requires more Science reading
4. The New SAT requires more mental math
5. The New SAT has grid-in questions, and an
extended thinking grid-in question
Test Changes
The New SAT & College Admissions
 First New SAT administration
 21 days + up to 4 weeks for scores to
be available
 Concordance tables
 Released in December for the PSAT
and May for the SAT
 New and Old SAT scores
 Schools will accept both scores for a
3-year transition period
Test Changes
New SAT: To be Determined
 Will schools “Superscore” the Old &
New?
 Probably not
 Will schools require the optional
Essay?
 Likely at competitive schools
 What impact will Test and Cross-Test
Scores have on admissions?
 Depends
Test Changes
Test Paths
Student Profile
 Early Decision
 APs and Subject Tests
Test Path
 SAT or ACT
 Regular Decision
 ACT not an option
 New SAT
 Great Test Taker
 New SAT, ACT, & Current
SAT
 Anxious test taker
 Obvious strengths with one test
Test Changes
 Pick one
Top Factors in
College
Admissions
Top factors in college admissions1
#1: Grades in College
Prep Courses
Including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate,
or dual-enrollment courses
Advanced Placement Courses
✓
1Source:
Available in almost every subject, from calculus
and English to French and psychology
✓
Accepted as credits by many colleges
✓
At least one taken by 27% of students
National Association for College Admission Counseling, “The State of College Admissions 2009.”
Top factors in college admissions
#2: Strength of
Curriculum
Both the amount of course work you complete in
high school and the quality of those courses
Challenging Course Work
✓
An indicator of how well you’ll do in college
✓
Colleges usually require the most years of study
in English, academic electives, and math.
✓
More selective colleges look for more credits in
history, foreign language, math, and science.
Top factors in college admissions
#3: Admissions
Test Scores
A factor you can improve on now—and there are
tons of resources available to help you succeed!
SAT or ACT
✓
Almost all colleges accept either test.
✓
The SAT requires you to write an essay, whereas
the ACT includes a science test.
✓
Taking a practice test of both exams will help you
decide which test is right for you.
The college application essay
80% of colleges use the essay to make their final admissions decisions.
https://www.story2.com/essaysuccess
Where will your scores take you?
75th* Percentile
ACT Composite
Score
75th* Percentile
SAT Score CR+M+W
*New SAT TBD*
32–36
2080–2400
27–31
1800–2070
Drew University
22–26
1510–1790
Rutgers University
17–21
1210–1610
Montclair State University
*25 percent of students scored above.
Schools
Princeton University
Prep Smarter,
Not Harder
College prep timeline
Thank you!
Questions?
Contact Jaime.Capra@kaplan.com or
call 1-800-kaptest
For more information, visit
kaptest.com/satchange
Test Changes