SAT and ACT to change, effective 2015
The SAT and ACT are undergoing major redesigns, which are to be completed in 2016 and 2015 respectively. The SAT's content and format changes will affect the class of 2017, while the new ACT’s electronic format will affect the class of 2016.“In the months ahead, the College Board will begin an effort in collaboration with its membership to redesign the SAT so that it better meets the needs of students, schools and colleges at all levels,” Mary Price, a College Board Service Center agent, said. “We will develop an assessment that mirrors the work that students will do in college so that they will practice the work they need to do to complete college.”According to Price, the new changes to the SAT will help students make successful transitions into college.“The College Board will develop an assessment that strongly focuses on the core knowledge and skills that evidence shows are most important to prepare students for the rigors of college and career,” Price said.According to Kaplan Test Prep, the English section will be combined into an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. The complex vocabulary on the exam will be replaced by more typical words such as “distill” and “synthesis,” while the math section will focus on linear equations, linear functions and proportions. The use of a calculator will no longer be allowed.“I like [the changes],” Mimi Levine (‘17) said. “I don’t enjoy vocabulary tests much because I don’t like memorizing words that I will forget right after the test. Math is my strongest subject, so for me, the changes will be beneficial.”In addition, the SAT will also get rid of the wrong answer penalty and the essay will be made optional, according to Kaplan Test Prep. The test will be available both electronically and on paper.According to an ACT press release from May 8, 2013, the ACT exam will be offered online starting in 2015 in schools that administer the ACT on a school day. Students will be able to take the ACT on a desktop computer, laptop or tablet. However, a non-electronic version of the ACT exam will continue to be available after 2015. In addition, an optional free-response portion of the exam will be offered to schools as a supplement to the multiple choice questions. This requires students to write in their own answers instead of choosing from a selection of possible answers.Francis Abastillas (‘16) said that taking the exam online could result in cheating, even at testing centers.“[The new ACT exam] is going to be more convenient,” Abastillas said. “However, only time will tell whether or not it’s the right decision. Students might cheat by using the Internet. [They] might also contact each other during the test via social media.”The ACT will still be scored on a scale from one to 36 and will contain four parts: English, math, writing and science, plus an optional essay portion.English teacher Ruth Magnuson said that the changes will not affect current curriculum at Samo.“I’m not preparing [students] for the SAT — I’m preparing them for college,” Magnuson said. “The purpose of English class is to create a community of readers, writers and learners.”cyen@thesamohi.com