Collage Board on Wednesday will be releasing new details of
its SAT pattern that includes sample questions and explanations of the
research, goals and specifications behind them.
“We are committed to a clear and open SAT, and today is the
first step in that commitment," said Cyndie Schmeiser, the College Board's
chief of assessment.
"Everything a student needs to know to walk into that
test and not be surprised." She added.
The big change that has been done is the no inclusion of
obscure words. The focus will be more on what the College Board calls
"high utility" words that appear in many contexts.
The test will be for 3 hrs, with additional 50 minutes for
optional essay in which students will be asked to analyze text and evaluate how
the author builds an argument. Current test includes 25-minute essay in
which students are asked to take a position on an issue and which is graded
without regard to factual accuracy.
Moreover, new test will have 65-minute critical reading
section with 52 questions, a 35-minute written language test with 44 questions,
and an 80-minute math section with 57 questions. Also there will be
interpreting graph which is an important part of the test.
Mentioning it as the positive step William Dingledine, an
educational consultant in Greenville, S.C., said, "It's a positive step
that they're trying to align the test with what students should be learning in
school, and what they need for college, since the current SAT doesn't do that
very well, but it's going to be interesting to see the SAT align with the
Common Core standards while there are lots of states now trying to get rid of
the Common Core."
Source: TOI
