The SAT has some changes coming in the spring that could affect high school students.
The standardized test taken for college admissions is shifting from the original paper format to a digital format, according to USA Today. Starting in March, students will now take the test on personal or school-provided laptops or tablets through an app called Bluebook. This change also will shorten the testing time, making it roughly an hour shorter.
Ralf Ingwersen, owner of Test Prep For Success, said the digital version of college entrance exams like the SAT has been a long time coming.
Another change USA Today reported is that the College Board is introducing an adaptive style of testing -- meaning as the students take the test, the test’s difficulty will adapt to the student’s performance based on how they perform in the first section of the two-part test.
So if a student breezes through the first section of the math or reading test, which is split into two parts, the second section will generate more difficult questions. Alternatively, if a student struggles through the first half, the second half will have easier questions.
USA Today reported that adaptive testing eliminates wasting time asking students questions that are too easy or too hard for their performance level, and it allows the College Board to assess what an individual is capable of more quickly.
Scores would be calibrated based on the question difficulty.
Ingwersen said with the adaptive testing model students must get as many points in the first half as possible.
“I’m going to quote all good basketball coaches and say, make your layups. I’m telling kids make sure you make those easy ones because it’s really going to cost you,” Ingwersen said.
Ingwersen said test prep is key to ensuring that students are ready to put their best foot forward.
“Understanding what you’re up against is like good coaching, if you know what plays the other team is going to run, you’re going to be much better at defending them,” Ingwersen said. “So, that’s kind of what I’m doing. I’m telling you, ‘Hey, man, your skills are one thing, but understanding your opponent and studying their playbook is huge.’”
Test anxiety surrounding college entrance exams has always been a problem for tutors to help students overcome. Chris Gonzalez is the center director for the Huntington Learning Center.
“There’s a lot of apprehension as far as the unknown. I think that’s the biggest thing, for a lot of these parents unknown how their score is going to be impacted by this from previous scores, the unknown of how some of the local colleges and colleges around the state are going to accept those scores and what that might look like for them as far as a college entrance process,” he said.
The ACT exam, however, still offers an option to take a paper test if a student prefers that style.
What do you think about these changes? Do you think they will benefit students? Let us know below.