THE NEW SAT and
the ACT:
How the Changes Affect You
Chris Babb
Christopher.babb@c2educate.com
703-307-2255
The New SAT
The New SAT
The New SAT

Am I affected by the changes?
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New PSAT: October 2015
New SAT: March 2016
What are the changes?
How can I prepare?
Who Does This Affect?
Current 10th
graders
Current 9th
graders
Current 8th
graders
Current 7th
graders
You should be
taking the NEW
SAT or ACT
Will be taking New
SAT or ACT
Will be taking New
SAT or ACT
Will Be taking New
SAT or ACT
New SAT begins
March 2016
New SAT begins
March 2016
You will need to
take the NEW SAT
New PSAT
October 2015
New PSAT
New PSAT
General Test Changes
Current SAT
New SAT
600-2400 scale
400 to 1600 scale
5 answer choices per question
4 answer choices per question
¼ point penalty for wrong
answer
No penalty for wrong answer!
3 hrs. and 45 minutes
3 hrs. + 50 min. optional essay

NEW SAT is aligned to the spirit of the Common Core.
– The Common Core State Standards are a set of learning
standards that have been adopted by most states. These
standards will help to ensure that students from different states
master the same skills in each grade level.
The Tests
Reading Test

Vocabulary:
–
–
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Current SAT: Had/has Heavy focus on Sentence
Completions
New SAT: No Sentence Completions
New SAT: Tests multiple meanings using Wordsin-Context questions
Reading Test
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Passages:
Current SAT: Focuses on Reading
Comprehension
–
New SAT: Focuses on Reading Comprehension
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PLUS: more complex texts aligned to “college level
reading”
PLUS: wider range of texts including from “Founding
Documents” and the “greater global conversation”
PLUS: emphasis on analysis & use of evidence
PLUS: data & informational graphics
So What Does This Mean?

Reading will be harder!
–

No such thing as “Skimming”!
–

When was the last time you read a speech from a U.S. Senator or
Supreme Court Justice?
“Close Reading Skills” require lots of practice & long-term
development
“Reading” isn’t enough – deeper interpretation matters!
–
Do you carefully read the charts found in your textbook for
subjects like history & science? What about those pesky charts
used in newspaper articles?
Writing and Language Test

Current SAT: Isolated Grammar & Usage
Questions
–
New SAT: Integrated into PASSAGES



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PLUS: focus on “revising and editing”
PLUS: focus on misused words
PLUS: emphasis use of evidence
PLUS: data & informational graphics
So What Does This Mean?

Writing will be harder!
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
You’ll need multiple skills
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
You have only 35 minutes for 4 passages (44 total questions)
You’ll need to read passages, revise word usage, grammar, &
sentence structure – much like revising a research paper!
Strong vocabulary, command of evidence, using charts & graphs,
Essay is scored separately & won’t help your writing
score!
–
You need strong rhetoric & composition skills
Essay

Current SAT: Opinion-based (25 min)
–
New SAT: Analysis of a passage’s argument
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50 minutes
Optional
Question is always the same, passage is always
different
Like the AP English Language & Composition FreeResponse-Question
Writing and Language Test

Current SAT Writing Prompt:

Many people believe that loyalty—whether to an
individual, an organization, or a nation—means
unconditional and unquestioning support no matter what.
To these people, the withdrawal of support is by definition
a betrayal of loyalty. But doesn’t true loyalty sometimes
require us to be critical of those we are loyal to? If we see
that they are doing something that we believe is wrong,
doesn’t true loyalty require us to speak up, even if we
must be critical?
Writing and Language Test

Current SAT Assignment (from the prompt)

Does true loyalty require unconditional support? Plan and
write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience,
or observations.
New SAT Prompt

The following question is based on an exerpt
from Why Literature Matters: By Dana Gioia

Write an essay in which you explain how Dana Gioia builds an
argument to persuade his audience that the decline of reading in
America will have a negative effect on society. In your essay, analyze
how Gioia uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or
features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and
persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on
the most relevant features of the passage.
Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Gioia’s claims,
but rather explain how Gioia builds an argument to persuade his
audience.

So What Does This Mean?

The essay will be more challenging and complex!
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
You’ll need multiple skills
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–

You need to engage with a passage rather than rely on generic
responses
You’ll need to use CLOSE READING skills
You’ll need to use ANALYSIS skills (argumentation, style, diction,
literary devices)
You’ll need to use WRITING skills
It’s not truly “optional”
–
The best colleges will require it!
Math Test


Fewer topics but much more in-depth
Primary focus: problem-solving skills
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–

More than one way to a solution
Simple test-taking tricks no longer work
There are 2 sections:
–
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Calculator Section
No-Calculator Section

1 open response question (showing work) – 5 pts.
Math Test

Three general focuses
–
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
Heart of Algebra
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Advanced Math
Word problems!
So What Does This Mean?

Math will be more challenging!
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
Your Problem Solving Skills will need to be
stronger
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
Fewer topics but you’ll need more in-depth knowledge!
There will be multiple ways to solve a problem, but you’ll
need to decide the “optimal” path to solving a problem
Mental Math will be required for No-Calculator sections
Word Problems, word problems, word problems!
–
With a focus on “Real World” scenarios, you’ll be seeing far
more graphs, charts, and word problems!
What experts are saying about the New SAT:
“The
large majority of admissions directors (91 percent) say
that they favor the SAT changes being made by the
College Board.”
The 2014 Inside Higher Ed Survey of
College & University Admissions Directors
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Christopher.babb@c2educate.com 703-307-2255