How ninth Graders should be prepared for updated SAT?

Exam: SAT Test - Scholastic Assessment Test: Reading, Writing and Language, Mathematics

College Board, which prepares SAT questions, in spring 2014 has recently announced major changes in SAT patterns. According to College Board, the new updated SAT will provide students with whatever skill they need to succeed in college. However, the process of redesigning SAT is still ongoing. Some of the changes mentioned below is as per the initial release and college board is yet to come with detailed changes Before setting target for new SAT , students must know some major difference between new and old SAT which is mentioned below. College board has, surprisingly, decreased the SAT full marks to 1600.Out of this 1600 score, 800 is for mathematics and another 800 is for so called evidence-based reading and writing unlike existing 2400 full marks where 800 is for mathematics, 800 for Writing and 800 for critical reading sections. The most exhilarating fact is that College Board has decided not to penalize for the wrong answers. Currently, students are penalized about one-fourth of a point for every wrong answers. Like in current reading section of SAT, revised section also consists of series of passages followed by multiple choice questions. However, unlike current SAT, updated one will come with passage related to science, social studies, history having graph/charts/tables which demands student to draw ideas presented in the picture. Sixty-five minutes is allocated to the evidence based reading section with total of 52 questions consisting 4 single passages and 1 pair passage. A total of 35 minute is separated for writing or language test. Unlike previous SAT where students mostly have to find errors from the single sentences, new SAT demands student to play the role of editor, playing the role of revising the paragraphs that contents many errors. There is supposed to be 4 paragraphs in this section. According to College Board, writing skills will be tested both in evidence-based reading and writing sections, so essay (essay is optional in new test) is not the required part for SAT, a thrilling fact for most high school students. Mathematics section has also been significantly revised. It is divided into 2 groups: one of 55 minute section known as calculator section and another of 25 minutes known as no-calculator section. There will be 45 multiple choice question(45 points),11 grid in questions(11 points),1 extended thinking question(4 points).Also, from 2016 onward SAT will be available in both in print and digitally. Knowing the above differences will surely give deep insight into new SAT. Let us, now, focus on how to prepare for new SAT.

1) Evidence-based reading and writing -

Most of the students must be very happy to know that College Board has removed sentence completion (vocabulary in context) questions from reading section which has significantly removed the burden of learning more and complex vocabulary. Still don't take it lightly for College Board will surely test your knowledge of vocabulary through different passages.4 single passages will test your intellectual capacity, drawing ideas capacity, critical thinking ability and determining vocabulary in context ability. So, the students, even they don't have to give as much as time for vocabulary as they do currently, they still need to have profound knowledge of words. It not only gives the meaning of particular words but also reveals what the passage is trying to say. Unlike the current SAT, where knowing the exact meaning was quite enough for the questions, the new SAT will test the ability if the student to us the same words for different contest. So, students must not still take vocabulary lightly. They can learn vocabulary words from different SAT preparations books available in the market. The students should strive for taking more rigorous course and practice more analytical reading to boost up their passages comprehending speed. If this trait can be developed by the students then the new SAT will not create obstruction in getting high score. The another significant change made in new SAT ,as mentioned above, is the putting of graphs/charts/tables.The students ,therefore, should also be able to interpret the ideas from the given data.So, it is highly advisable to the current high school students to pay more attention towards developing the skills of interpreting the information from particular figures. Since fifty two questions are to be completed in sixty-five minutes, students should develop more speed in interpreting the passage. As for the current SAT’s writing section questions, updated SAT’s writing and language test questions also demands the students to have deep knowledge of the fundamental rules of English grammar. Not only this, updated version will focus more on ability of the students to explicitly express the opinion using concise and correct grammatical sentences. So, students of high school should get fundamental knowledge of English grammar which they can earn by doing current SAT questions. However, they must read more books and determine the path of expressing one’s view in as much concise and grammatically correct ways as possible. So, we see that in the evidence based reading and writing sections, college board has deeply emphasized not only on interpreting ideas or vocabulary but also on expressing views in grammatically correct and concise way.So, students must not be relief of the fact of being essay section considered optional as redesigned SAT will ,however, check the student’s writing ability in some other way.

2) Mathematical section -

In mathematics section, a new question called extended thinking question is introduced.This questions has break the usual scoring pattern ,according to which every questions are of single point, by giving the students 4 points for correctly answering extended thinking questions. So, for new SAT students must have deep knowledge of some mathematical chapters. Not only this, student must be mentally quick and observant as College Board has introduce a section for math where using of calculator is prohibited. So, for doing well in upgraded SAT, the students of high school should basically focus on reading and writing section. The more rigorous course they take, the more they develop reasoning and comprehending technique. Moreover, technically new SAT measures different abilities of students as like that by current pattern of SAT but more in advance way. So, students must keep on exercising the current SAT and also keep an eye on new model questions for new SAT. Doing this, they can move ahead in path of getting good scores.

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