Right now, many high school juniors are deciding whether to take the current SAT exam, which has only two remaining administrations, in December and January, or to wait for the New SAT to debut in March 2016. The current SAT, with its focus on critical reading, writing, and mathematics is familiar to most students. There […]
Right now, many high school juniors are deciding whether to take the current SAT exam, which has only two remaining administrations, in December and January, or to wait for the New SAT to debut in March 2016. The current SAT, with its focus on critical reading, writing, and mathematics is familiar to most students. There are countless review resources, including practice questions, review books, SAT prep classes, and online materials.
The New SAT, however, is largely a question mark. Despite the publication of review materials designed for the New SAT, students won’t have a full autopsy report until after the first group of students conquers the exam next March. According to the College Board, which publishes the SATs, changes in the New SAT include the following:
All-new essay — and it’s optional
No penalty for guessing
No vocab that you’ll never use again
4 parts: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and the optional SAT Essay
400–1600 score scale
3 hours and 50 minutes with the SAT Essay — or 3 hours without it
4 answer choices for each question
A recent article in Forbescautioned students against taking the New SAT because there are so few practice questions, the score reports won’t be available until May 2016, and the exam is similar to the ACT. Students, however, should decide for themselves which SAT to take.
Test-prep guru Gary Gruber has developed a diagnostic tool to help students figure out which SAT test is best for them. According to Business Insider, “Gruber contends that he knows which exam students should take to ensure they get the highest possible score…. Gruber went on to explain that students who were more inquisitive and could pick up on nuances in questions will do better on the old version of the SAT. The new SAT and the ACT — the other major standardized test students take — are very similar in terms of content and questions, according to Gruber.” Students can access this free SAT Diagnostic Exams here, or scroll down to the bottom of this post to take the Gruber Math and Verbal tests.
Long Island Regents Prep is busily preparing its New SAT review materials in anticipation of the March 2016 changes. In the meantime, though, students can register for our January 17 SAT Crash Course in preparation for the final administration of the current SAT exam. Students should sign up early for our Long Island SAT review classes at Farmingdale State College.
Long Island SAT Review Classes at Farmingdale State College
Long Island Regents Prep recently had the pleasure of teaching its SAT Crash Course to 18 students visiting from China. The SAT prep and overview course, “Mastering the New SAT Exam,” was offered through a partnership between Long Island Regents Prep and WorldStrides, the nation’s oldest and largest student travel organization. Taught at Pace University, the SAT class was developed […]
Long Island Regents Prep recently had the pleasure of teaching its SAT Crash Course to 18 students visiting from China. The SAT prep and overview course, “Mastering the New SAT Exam,” was offered through a partnership between Long Island Regents Prep and WorldStrides, the nation’s oldest and largest student travel organization. Taught at Pace University, the SAT class was developed by Long Island Regents Prep’s Director of SAT Review, Joshua Fialkow. Mr. Fialkow, who holds degrees in history and education from Yale and Columbia, brings a decade of teaching, tutoring, and curriculum writing experience to his SAT course development.
During the 4-hour SAT class, which took place on July 19, Mr. Fialkow introduced students to the newly redesigned SAT, which debuts in March 2016. “Mastering the New SAT Exam” provided the WorldStrides students with an overview of the New SAT, test-taking strategies, and sample SAT questions. So far, feedback from WorldStrides students has been overwhelmingly positive. Long Island Regents Prep will offer a more comprehensive version of this SAT Crash Course at Farmingdale State College beginning in February 2016.
Long Island Regents Prep’s Director of SAT Review, Joshua Fialkow, introduces the New SAT Exam to WorldStrides students from China at Pace University.
There’s been a lot of discussion in recent days about the redesigned SAT, which will debut in 2016. For decades, the College Board has faced criticism that the SAT helps students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, who can afford pricey test prep services and tutors, while lower- and middle-class students are left on their own to […]
There’s been a lot of discussion in recent days about the redesigned SAT, which will debut in 2016. For decades, the College Board has faced criticism that the SAT helps students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, who can afford pricey test prep services and tutors, while lower- and middle-class students are left on their own to navigate the arcane and archaic (SAT vocab words?) exam. These suspicions are borne out by statistics showing students from wealthier families achieving better SAT scores. The redesigned exam claims to be more equitable in allowing opportunities for all students to excel on the exam, not just those with the means to pay for test preparation.
Sifting through all the information on the new SAT can be daunting. Below are some resources to help you learn more about the College Board’s redesign.
Since the current SAT exam will be around for a few more years, most high school students won’t have to worry about the coming changes. They can continue to rely on existing study methods, practice exams, review books, tutors, and prep courses. For more information about SAT Crash Courses that we offer at Farmingdale State College, or to register online, visit liregentsprep.wpengine.com.
