After the SAT testing on Jan. 23, the backing company, the College Board, is introducing a reformatted and redesigned version of the SAT. While this change does not affect MSMS seniors, members of the junior class are either busy preparing for the new exam, which is beginning in March, or contemplating the necessity of taking that specific national exam.

“I’m going to take it just to see if I do better or even the same,” said Raven Ferguson, a junior who has not taken the SAT but plans to do so this year. “I’ll probably take the essay anyway in case if any college I apply to wants it, so that doesn’t really affect me.” Her comment were reiterated by other juniors in their new ambivalence about the “more ACT-like” exam.

“I think for someone who didn’t do as well on the ACT, the SAT used to offer a second chance at making a higher score,” said Meilun Zhou, a senior who has taken the SAT. “With the changes, people won’t have that chance any more.”

The College Board website for the “New SAT” publicizes both the updated content and modified preparation materials available to student testers. Some of the recently-developed feature that testers will experience include “free world-class practice, optional essay, no penalty for guessing, vocab you’ll use long after test day,” as stated by the College Board. Instead of the previous four sections focusing on critical reading, writing, mathematics and an essay, the redesigned SAT will have two sections of evidence-based reading and writing (with subsections focused on a reading test and a writing and language test) and math plus an optional essay.

New testers will also experience a shorter test time of three hours unless they opt to take the essay which is allotted 50 minutes extra; this is a slight change from the three hour and 45 minute exam of previous years.  The most anticipated change among many MSMS students, however, is the shift in SAT scoring. While the 2400-point range is being reduced back to a 1600 scale, the penalty reduction of one-fourth of a point for an incorrect answer is being removed.

“I think it’s going to be easier than before because you can guess without any points being taken off,” said Ferguson. “It’s a lot like the ACT which I’ve taken twice already.”

“I think there is a difference in making a 9 out of 10 and making a 39 out of 40,” said senior Ashley Dobbins, who has taken the SAT before. “I always liked the SAT better because I scored higher, so, to me, the changes are a bit too much like the ACT.” Dobbins also commented on the removal of SAT vocabulary, saying the change was slightly positive to her.

Most senior students finished their standardized testing before college applications were due in January or December, making the change unimportant in their opinion. To juniors who have already prepared for their final rounds of college admissions testing, however, the shift in SAT layout and content could potentially eliminate their familiarity according to some.  

“For people who haven’t taken it yet, there is no change in format so the change won’t be any more of learning curve,” said Zhou. Before the Jan. 1 deadline of most college applications, current juniors will have approximately six test dates to sit for the exam.  Ferguson said, “I had not prepared for the SAT before I came here, but we had to prepare for the new PSAT so I decided to take it,” pointing out that MSMS juniors did get some preparation for the redesigned SAT through the PSAT in October.

Registration for the March 5 test date for the newly reformatted and restructured SAT is already open to students. To prepare students for the first glance of the new standardized test, the College Board is offering personalized Khan Academy practice based off of PSAT scores.