Q: Can I take the October 2004 and/or December 2004 ACT, which will not offer the essay portion, and just use those scores for college admissions?
Q: What about the PSAT, is that changing as well?
Q: If I take the current SAT which is offered in October 2004, November 2004, December 2004, and January 2005, do I still have to take the "new" SAT?
Q: I'm not sure which test to study for anymore. Which one should I spend most of my time preparing for?
Q: Will I need a separate preparation class for both tests?
Q: Where do I find test-prep materials for the "new" SAT?
Q: Do my 10th grade PSAT (pre-SAT) and/or PLAN (pre-ACT test) scores give an accurate picture of how I'll score on the "new" tests?
Q: How will preparation classes change for the "new" SAT?
Q: Where can I get more information on the tests?
Q: Can I take the current SAT along with the STAII Writing test instead of the "new" SAT?
Q: Can
I take the October 2004 and/or December 2004 ACT, which will not offer
the essay portion, and just use those scores for college admissions?
A: Probably
not. Most colleges will probably require the essay portion,
so if you only take the ACT, you'll probably have to take it
in February 2005 and/or later. Even worse, you will not, as of
this writing, be able to register for just the essay portion
of the ACT. So you couldn't take the December 2004 ACT and then
just plan to do only the essay in February. If you register
for the February 2005 ACT or later, you have to register for
the whole test. However, if you did take the October 2004 or
the December 2004 ACT and did well, we believe that colleges
would use those scores and just use your essay score from the
February 2005 or later test. This is speculation on our part,
and the safest path will be to contact the college(s) you're
interested in.
Q: What
about the PSAT, is that changing as well?
A: Yes,
but the changes to the PSAT are less significant. Since 1997,
students have received a Math, Verbal, and Writing score. It's
the SAT that is adopting the Writing test which was already part
of the PSAT. The PSAT, however, will not have the essay portion
and will not test for Algebra II. The main differences will be:
no analogies and no quantitative comparisons. Analogies will
be replaced with paragraph reading, and and quantitative comparisons
will be replaced by more multiple choice math. The PSAT will
have two 2wentyfive minute Math sections, two twenty five minute
Verbal sections, and one twenty five minute Writing section.
Overall, the test will be five minutes shorter than previous
years.
Q: If
I take the current SAT which is offered in October 2004, November
2004, December 2004, and January 2005, do I still have to take the "new" SAT?
A: Probably. The "new" SAT
will probably be required by most colleges because of the essay
and the perception that the "new" test is better than
the current one. The best advice is to check with the colleges
you may be interested in and assume that taking the current SAT
would be a waste of time!
Q: I'm
not sure which test to study for anymore. Which one should I spend
most of my time preparing for?
A: Because
of the uncertainty of he "new" SAT, it will be
much safer to prepare for the ACT. The ACT is only adding an
essay. The test itself is not changing at all. So given that
most colleges accept either test, it only makes sense to prepare
for the one everyone knows more about - the ACT. Another bonus
is that the "new" SAT will be remarkably similar to
the ACT in content tested. English grammar will be on both, the
math content will become very similar, and both test reading
comprehension. So preparing for the ACT will absolutely help
you prepare for the "new" SAT.
Q: Will
I need a separate preparation class for both tests?
A: The
formats of the two tests will be different, but the content
will be very similar. So the only thing students will need to
do to go from one test to the other will be to get used to the
format of that particular test. For example: the ACT does not
have a penalty for incorrect answers, the SAT does. Both tests
will test subject-verb agreement but each will do so in a significantly
different manner.
Q: Where
do I find test-prep materials for the "new" SAT?
A: You're
probably going to have to wait until Fall to get accurate
preparation materials. Some companies will publish books and
software, but at this point, no one can be sure of the subtleties
of the new test. The best preparation at this point, would be
a SAT II Writing preparation book for the multiple choice Writing
section. A SAt II Math IC preparation book would probably be
a little more difficult than the "new" SAT Math test,
but the content would be similar.
Q: Do
my 10th grade PSAT (pre-SAT) and/or PLAN (pre-ACT test) scores give
an accurate picture of how I'll score on the "new" tests?
A: Since
the ACT is only adding an essay, your PLAN score is accurate.
According to the SAT people, your PSAT score from 10th grade
should give an accurate reading of how you'll score on the "new" test.
This make us wonder though, how the "new" SAT test
is so much different and better than the old . You should place
more weight on how you did on the Critical Reading questions
and Sentence Completions and less on the Analogies. Your PSAT
Writing score should be a very accurate picture of how you would
do on the "new" SAT. The accuracy of the Math score
is the biggest question mark at this time.
Q: How
will preparation classes change for the "new" SAT?
A: Prep
classes for the "new " SAT will seem more like
the ACT preparation classes. Lots of math content, lots of reading
practice and an English grammar review. It may seem more like
studying for a final exam in school. Much of the old SAT class
was committed to strategies for the various question types, such
as; Analogies and Quantitative Comparisons, which were very different
from school work. There will still be lots of strategies, but
the major focus of new classes will be on patterns of content
tested. How will they test run-on's? How will they test slope
of a line? What types of reading questions will they ask? What
grammar concepts do you need to know?
Q: Where
can I get more information on the tests?
A: Your
high school counselor is a good first step. They usually
have the opportunity to attend seminars given by the test makers.
You can also try the big bookstores; look for books that specifically
refer to SAT 2005. One of our favorite sites is College
Confidential or try the official SAT and/or ACT web
sites.
Q: Can
I take the current SAT along with the STAII Writing test instead of
the "new" SAT?
A: Maybe.
That's one of the issues that each college will probably
decide for themselves. You'll probably have to check with your
high school councilor or call the college itself. Make sure to
ask them if there is any chance that their policy could change!
The essay on the current SAT II Writing test is a bit different
than the type that will be on the "new" SAT.
Q: Oh
no, an essay?
A: The
SAT, beginning in March, 2005, will begin with a 25 minute
student-written essay. Students will be given a statement of
opinion and then asked to write an essay agreeing or disagreeing
with the statement.
The essay will be read by two graders who will each submit a score between
1( lowest) and 6(highest). The two scores will then be added together.
The essay scare will then be come part of your overall SAT Writing score.
The other portion of the Writing test is a multiple choice English grammar
and usage test. The multiple choice questions will count more toward your
overall Writing score than the essay.
One scary note: Colleges will be able to view and print your SAT essay
if you send that college your test scores!