Features: A Message from Claes Nobel Meet your new Student Council Partner News College-Bound Advice Q & A on the SAT from the College Board Choosing a College Spotlight on Service Fulfilling F.U.N. at Day Camp for the Disabled Visiting the Philippines: A Life-changing Experience Non-Sibi: "Not for Oneself": Tsunami Relief Truths about Tutoring A Super Summer: Controlled Chaos at the Library Summer Experiences Summer Alternatives: Building the Mind AND the Body Summer Dreams: Friends and Fun at the World's Fair in Japan My Summer in Medical Research ICE in Summer: Georgia Tech Institute for Computer Education Learning about Leadership: National Student Leadership Conference Summertime... and the Living is Busy: from Houston, to Harvard, to Oxford We are grateful to The College Board for providing the following article for our members about the new version of the SAT exam. Questions and Answers on the SAT® from the College Board® How did the SAT change? The SAT® underwent some fairly significant changes in March 2005. A Writing section was added, comprised of multiple-choice questions that measure editing and revising skills, and an essay that asks students to express their opinion on a topic. Some Algebra II-type questions were added to the Math section, and some short, paragraph-length reading passages were added to the Critical Reading section (formerly the Verbal section). How long is the test? The SAT itself lasts for three hours and 45 minutes. Students also receive two five-minute breaks, and a one-minute break to stretch, eat a snack, or use the restroom. What's the essay like? Students have 25 minutes to write a rough draft essay on the given topic, using examples from history, literature, or their personal experiences and observations to develop an argument supporting their opinion. The topic will always be of a general nature, such as whether being satisfied with life prevents people from changing for the better, or whether secrecy is always harmful. Click here to for SAT essay strategies. How is the essay scored? Each essay is read and scored independently by two rigorously-trained teachers. If their scores differ by more than a point, a supervisor reader will score it as well. Readers are specifically instructed to read essays holistically, judge them as a rough draft, and to ignore bad handwriting and minor errors in grammar or spelling. What's a good score on the SAT? With the addition of the Writing section to the SAT, there are now three sections scored on a 200 to 800 scale, for a new top score of 2400. The College Board® recommends that students look at each of their section scores separately, as this is a better measure of their readiness/skill level in each area. However, if a student thought a "good" score was 600 x 2 for two sections, than a comparable score would now be 600 x 3. How should students prepare for the SAT? The best way to prepare for the SAT is to take challenging courses in school, and to read and write frequently, both in and out of school. There are also lots of sample tests available at wwww.collegeboard.com and in the free SAT Preparation Booklet™ you can pick up in your high school's guidance office. Students looking for additional preparation can purchase The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT™, or The Official SAT Online Course™. Click here to visit the College Board's SAT Preparation Center™. How are colleges using new SAT scores? Colleges use SAT scores to objectively compare students from different high school backgrounds and to predict their academic success in their freshman year. Some colleges also use students' scores for placement and exemption purposes, helping to identify appropriate courses for their incoming freshman. Many colleges are still considering exactly how they'll use the new Writing scores. Students should contact the admissions offices at the colleges they plan to apply to, to confirm each school's policy. << Back to Journal Home page