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Here's the College Board's page on the redesigned SAT: https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-

Here's the College Board's page on the redesigned SAT: https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/rede... Here's a 200 page PDF on the new format with lots of sample questions: https://www.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat/delivering-opportunity/test_specifications_for_the_redesigned_sat_102414.pdf https://www.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat/delivering-opportunity/... The sentence completions are gone; now we have words in context. Essay is twice as long. No independent writing section. Math is more algebra and prob/stats focused, especially with graph and chart interpretations. Geometry has been all but eliminated, coming in at 6 total questions in the Additional Topics in Math (paraphrasing) category. In my view, the main issue with this exam is that it's more coachable now. I feel you can learn less math/reading/writing now and just exploit the nature of the SAT to do well on the new exam. Good for test prep, not so great for everyone else. The main issue is that you kind of have to dumb yourself down to answer the questions - if you start actually thinking critically, you'll run into trouble.

yummyfajitas 12y ago
More coachable is probably the goal. A big problem for the college board is that insofar as the SAT is difficult, math driven, and g loaded, Asian people tend to score too high. This creates political pressure for colleges to stop using the SAT in admissions, an existential threat to the college board.
- IndianAstronaut 12y ago
  They have always tweaked exams to meet with new(old for the rest of us but new for college admissions departments) demands. A few years ago they changed the GRE to include more statistics and probability.
- graeme 12y ago
  >More coachable is probably the goal. A big problem for the college board is that insofar as the SAT is difficult, math driven, and g loaded, Asian people tend to score too high. How would this help? I've taught SAT courses, and Asian students are overrepresented in those prep courses. Those cultures tend to have a habit of using external prep. Note for posterity: I'm not saying Asian overrepresentation is a bad thing. Just stating a fact about courses I taught. If the college board's motive is to reduce Asian scores, I don't think they've picked a good method.
- rhino369 12y ago
  I'm just spitballing here, but I always assume the reason Asians do so much better is because it is game-able and the Asian subculture pressures students to overstudy.
bsder 12y ago
> The main issue is that you kind of have to dumb yourself down to answer the questions - if you start actually thinking critically, you'll run into trouble. This has always been true on the SAT--especially the math section. In the math section, it is almost always faster to eliminate answers using backward reasoning than getting the correct answer using forward calculation. For the sample question, answers C&D relate to intercept--answers A&B relate to slope. The question asks about slope so you immediately discard C&D. Now, even a guess is a plus for you. By the way, that sample question would get removed after statistical norming. It's sufficiently confusing that it won't pass the standard--poor students always miss--mediocre students sometimes hit--good students always get it right--that is required for the SAT to work statistically. The confusion is that choice of slope is arbitrary--there is no particular reason for why which length is on which axis and which is cause and effect. This was actually one of the unique things about the SAT for me. While "sample" questions always had lots of confusing answers, the SAT questions were absolutely crystal clear. Any SAT section with more than one confusing question was obviously the experimental section.

yummyfajitas 12y ago

More coachable is probably the goal. A big problem for the college board is that insofar as the SAT is difficult, math driven, and g loaded, Asian people tend to score too high. This creates political pressure for colleges to stop using the SAT in admissions, an existential threat to the college board.

IndianAstronaut 12y ago
They have always tweaked exams to meet with new(old for the rest of us but new for college admissions departments) demands. A few years ago they changed the GRE to include more statistics and probability.
graeme 12y ago
>More coachable is probably the goal. A big problem for the college board is that insofar as the SAT is difficult, math driven, and g loaded, Asian people tend to score too high. How would this help? I've taught SAT courses, and Asian students are overrepresented in those prep courses. Those cultures tend to have a habit of using external prep. Note for posterity: I'm not saying Asian overrepresentation is a bad thing. Just stating a fact about courses I taught. If the college board's motive is to reduce Asian scores, I don't think they've picked a good method.
rhino369 12y ago
I'm just spitballing here, but I always assume the reason Asians do so much better is because it is game-able and the Asian subculture pressures students to overstudy.

bsder 12y ago

> The main issue is that you kind of have to dumb yourself down to answer the questions - if you start actually thinking critically, you'll run into trouble. This has always been true on the SAT--especially the math section. In the math section, it is almost always faster to eliminate answers using backward reasoning than getting the correct answer using forward calculation. For the sample question, answers C&D relate to intercept--answers A&B relate to slope. The question asks about slope so you immediately discard C&D. Now, even a guess is a plus for you. By the way, that sample question would get removed after statistical norming. It's sufficiently confusing that it won't pass the standard--poor students always miss--mediocre students sometimes hit--good students always get it right--that is required for the SAT to work statistically. The confusion is that choice of slope is arbitrary--there is no particular reason for why which length is on which axis and which is cause and effect. This was actually one of the unique things about the SAT for me. While "sample" questions always had lots of confusing answers, the SAT questions were absolutely crystal clear. Any SAT section with more than one confusing question was obviously the experimental section.