The Redesigned SAT®: What You Need to Know Now

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - In March 2014, the College Board announced sweeping changes to the SAT^® to focus on the few things that matter most for college and career readiness. Since that time, Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy^® became available for all students, we launched a new, free SAT daily practice app, and a record number of students took a similarly redesigned version of the PSAT/NMSQT^®.

With just six weeks left until the first administration of the test, we want to ensure you have the key dates, facts, and contact information.

Key Dates:

Quick Facts

PSAT/NMSQT:

• This past October, more than four million students — a record number — took the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in schools across the country.
• Because the PSAT/NMSQT measures the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, students who took the test already got to practice for and preview the redesigned SAT.
• Students are now able to access their PSAT/NMSQT scores online to find out:
  • Information about their college readiness;
  • Which Advanced Placement ^® (AP^®) courses are a good match for them;
  • How to link their PSAT/NMSQT scores to Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy to receive free, personalized practice recommendations, and much more.
• Additional details on how to access, understand, and use score reports are available here.

Current SAT:

• Beginning with the high school class of 1972, more than 53 million students have taken the SAT.
• Since 2005 when the SAT was last revised, nearly 16 million students have taken the test.
• The test is accepted by all U.S. colleges.

Redesigned SAT:

• The redesigned SAT focuses on the few things that matter most for college and career readiness, and it better reflects what students are learning in class.
• Like the current SAT, it's accepted by all U.S. colleges.
• The test will:
  • Be 3 hours (add 50 minutes with the optional SAT Essay)
  • Have 2 sections (3 with essay): Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Math
  • Use a score scale from 400 to 1600, with the essay scored separately
• Changes include:
  • A focus on the areas of math that matter most
  • A move away from obscure vocabulary words to the use of relevant words in context
  • No penalty for guessing
  • An optional essay 
• You can look at the differences between the current SAT and redesigned SAT here.
• Free, personalized practice tools for the redesigned SAT are available at satpractice.org. Unlike traditional high-priced test prep that focuses on strategies for taking the test and quick cramming, Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy supports and reinforces what students are learning in classrooms by helping them focus on the knowledge and skills essential for college readiness.
• Since June, more than 750,000 users have logged onto the Khan Academy SAT practice site, completing more than 16 million practice problems.

SOURCE The College Board