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SAT exam & exam prep overview: Difference between revisions
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== SAT Exam overview == | == SAT Exam overview == | ||
* SAT = "Scholastic Assessment Test" | |||
* owned by the College Board (CB) | |||
** we will use "CB" here, although the College Board does not refer to itself by the abbreviation) | |||
* SAT tests are developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) | |||
** SAT accounts for 25% of ETS functions | |||
** ETS creates also develops and administers TOEFL ("Test of English as a Foreign Language"), GRE (graduate school admissions), and Praxis (for teachers) | |||
* note that CB and ETS are non-profits but both engage in aggressive business practices | |||
=== Background === | |||
* started in 1926 | |||
* the purpose of the SAT was to create a merit-based college admissions metric independent of student grades, school, and demographic | |||
* originally called "SAT I: Reasoning Test" (SAT I dropped in 2004, "reasoning test" dropped in 2016) | |||
* the SAT II was originally "SAT II: Subject Tests" | |||
* the official of the SAT test changed from "Scholastic Aptitude Test" to SAT, and the CB claimed those letters were no longer abbreviations for anything | |||
* | |||
=== 2016 changes === | |||
* in 2014, College Board announced fundamental changes in the SAT test | |||
** CB claimed it was because the test had "become disconnected from the work of our high schools.” | |||
** it was also in response rising popularity of the ACT test CB changed core test format | |||
*** ACT = "American College Testing" (title since dropped, refers to itself solely as "ACT") | |||
*** in 2012, more students took the ACT than the SAT for the first time (see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACT_(test)ACT test (wiki)]] | |||
*** the SAT test was changed to follow a similar format as the ACT | |||
**** source [https://web.archive.org/web/20140514233331/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/education/major-changes-in-sat-announced-by-college-board.html?_r=1 A New SAT Aims to Realign With Schoolwork(NY Times)]] | |||
* starting 2016, the SAT changes included: | |||
** total score returned to 1600 | |||
** 4 instead of 5 possible answers | |||
** dropped the 1/4-point penalty for wrong answers | |||
*** the penalty was designed to encourage skipping and penalize random guessing | |||
** math narrowed to focus on linear equations, equations or functions, rations, percentages and proportional reasoning | |||
** "critical reading" section changed to "evidence-based" (passage-based) reading excerpts (like the ACT) | |||
** grammar section changed to "evidence-based" (passage-based) reading excerpts (like the ACT) | |||
** verbal section vocabulary changed to evidence-based selection and use of more common words | |||
** essay now optional (thus the total score of 1600 instead of the previous 2400) | |||
** CB partnered with Khan Academy in order to offer free preparation instruction and practice | |||
=== Essay section & Subject tests dropped 2021 === | |||
* the College Board dropped the essay (after the June, 2021 test, although it will be offered in some states as per state rules | |||
* also dropped Subject Tests | |||
** the official reason for these changes was because of changes in college admissions requirements due to the COVID crisis | |||
** anecdotally, we can assume it was due to severe drop in revenue as result of the crisis | |||
=== Preparation & Practice Options === | |||
* the College Board published the "Official SAT Practice Book" | |||
** 2018 edition | |||
*** includes Practice tests 1-8 | |||
** 2021 edition | |||
*** includes Practice tests 1, 3, 4-10 | |||
* Princeton Review | |||
** started in 1981, now owned by ST Unitas, a Korean Ed-tech company | |||
== SAT Exam Practice == | == SAT Exam Practice == | ||