In the last sixty-three years, the SAT has only undergone one major change, which occurred in 2005 when the test added a grammar- and essay-based Writing score. But the College Board will be stirring things up once again, this time only eleven years later, when it debuts the redesigned SAT in March of 2016. This new college-readiness assessment will more closely align with Common Core State Standards and it will more closely resemble the ACT. Consider a comparison of the three tests:
General Test Information
| 2005-2015 SAT | REDESIGNED SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter point penalty for guessing | No penalty for guessing | No penalty for guessing |
| Three sections: Math, Reading, Writing | Three sections: Math, Reading, and Writing & Language | Four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science |
| Composite score based on three scored sections: Math, Reading, and Writing | Composite score based on two scored sections: Math and Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing | Composite score based on four scored sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science |
| Composite score reported from 600-2400 | Composite score reported from 400-1600 | Composite score reported from 1-36 |
| Required Essay | Optional Essay (although required bymany colleges) | Optional Essay (although required bymany colleges) |
| Five answer choices | Four answer choices | Four answer choices |
| Length: 3 hours, 45 minutes | Length: 3 hours, 45 minutes without Essay or 4 hours, 35 minutes with Essay | Length: 2 hours, 55 minutes without Writing (the essay) or 3 hours, 25 minutes with Writing |
Math
| 2005-2015 SAT | REDESIGNED SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| The Mathematics Section | The SAT Math Test | ACT Mathematics Test |
| Three Math sections | Two Math sections (one is similar to 2005-2015 SAT; the other is similar to ACT) | One Math section |
| Calculator allowed | Calculator not allowed on one math section | Calculator allowed |
| 54 questions (70 minutes) | 58 questions (80 minutes) | 60 questions (60 minutes) |
| 44 multiple choice questions and 10 student-produced response questions | 45 multiple choice questions and 13 student produced response questions | 60 multiple choice questions |
| Occasional "item set" (multiple questions about same topic or figure) | Frequent "item sets" | Occasional "item set" |
| All questions worth 1 point | One "Extended Thinking" question worth four points | All questions worth one point |
| Content tested: Arithemtic, Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, Coordinate Geometry, and Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability | Content tested: All of the content on the 2005-2015 SAT plus Trigonometry and some additional Geometry relationships | Content tested: Same content as the redesigned SAT |
| Numbers and Operations (20-24% of questions), Algebra and Functions (35-39%), Geometry (25-30%), Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability (11-13%) | Algebra (35%), Problem Solving and Data Analysis (28%), Advanced Algebra/Algebra II (27%), Geometry and Trig (10%) | Pre-Algebra (20-25%), Elementary Algebra (15-20%), Intermediate Algebra (15-20%), Plane Geometry (20-25%), Coordinate Geometry (20-25%), Trig (5-10%) |
| Notes: The redesigned SAT is focusing significantly more on Algebra than are the other two tests. It is also increasing its focus on word problems, reporting the highest average "words per math item" on the three tests. Finally, it is featuring an nearly equal ratio of contextual ("real world") math problems to conceptual math problems; the other two tests more heavily focus on conceptual questions. | ||
Reading
| 2005-2015 SAT | REDESIGNED SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| The Critical Reading Section | The SAT Reading Test (part of Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) | ACT Reading Test |
| Three Reading sections | One Reading section | One Reading section |
| 67 questions (70 minutes) | 52 questions (65 minutes) | 40 questions (35 minutes) |
| 19 Sentence Completion (vocabulary) questions 48 Passage-Based Reading questions | 52 Passage-Based Reading Questions | 40 Passage-Based Reading Questions |
| Four short passages (two of which are about a related topic) Five long passages (two of which are about a related topic) | Five long passages (two of which are about a related topic) | Five long passages (two of which are about a related topic) |
| Passages from Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Literary Fiction | 1 Literature passage, 2 History/Social Studies Passages, 2 Science Passages | 1 Literature passage, 1 Humanities Passage, 1 Social Studies Passage, 1 Natural Science Passage |
| Number of questions following long passages varies | 10 to 11 questions per passage | 10 questions per passage |
| All questions are about the passage | Some questions are about the tables or graphs that accompany some of the passages | All questions are about the passage |
| Extended Reasoning (63-75%), Literal Comprehension (6-9%), Vocabulary-in-Context (18-24%) | Extended Reasoning (30-40%), Literal Comprehension (20-30%), Vocabulary-in-Context (13-17%), Command of Evidence (15-20%), Data Interpretation (10-12%) | Extended Reasoning (50-60%), Literal Comprehension (30-40%), Vocabulary-in-Context (5-10%) |
| Vocabulary is tested in 19 Sentence Completion questions and 4-6 vocabulary-in-context questions from the passages | Vocabulary is tested in 8-10 vocabulary-in-context questions from the passages (as well as in 2-4 questions the Writing section) | Vocabulary is tested in 2-4 vocabulary-in-context questions from the passages (as well as in 2-3 questions in the English section). |
| Notes: The redesigned SAT is using passages that have a significantly higher text complexity rating than passages on the 2005-2015 SAT and ACT; some are rated as high as grade level 16. The test has added two new types of questions to the reading section: Command of Evidence and Data Interpretation. The Command of Evidence questions ask students to pinpoint where in the passage they found an answer. The Data Interpretations refer to tables or graphs that accompany two of the passages. In the easiest questions, they are simply asked to analyze the graphic. In more difficult questions, they must synthesize the data from teh graphic with the information in the text. | ||
Writing
| 2005-2015 SAT | REDESIGNED SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| The Writing Section | The SAT Writing and Language Test (part of Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) | ACT English Test |
| Three Writing sections: one essay and two multiple choice sections | One Writing section | One English section |
| 49 grammar questions (35 minutes) | 44 questions (35 minutes) | 75 questions (45 minutes) |
| 43 sentence-based questions 6 paragraph-based questions | 44 passage-based and graphic-based grammar questions | 75 passage-based grammar questions |
| 25 Improving Sentences questions 18 Identifying Sentence Error questions 6 Improving Paragraphs questions | 4 passages with 11 questions each | 5 passages with 15 questions each |
| No passages | 1 careers passage, 1 history/social studies passage, 1 science passage, 1 humanities passage | Passage subject areas not specificed |
| No passages | 1 nonfiction narrative, 1-2 argument passages, 1-2 information/explanatory text passage | Passage formats not specified |
| Content tested: Usage and grammar, sentence structure, rhetorical skills | Content tested: All of the content on the 2005-2015 SAT plus punctuation and degree of formality | Content tested: All of the content on the 2005-2015 SAT plus punctuation and degree of formality |
| Grammar and Usage (80-85%), Rhetorical Skills (15-20%) | Grammar and Usage (45%), Rhetorical Skills (55%), Data Interpretation (2-4%) | Grammar and Usage (45-60%), Rhetorical Skills (40-55%) |
| Required essay | Optional Essay | Optional Essay |
| Notes: The redesigned looks nearly identical to the ACT at first glance, but closer examination will reveal that the new SAT passages have a higher degree of text complexity and the addition of tables and graphs. The focus of the Writing test has shifted from grammar, mechanics, and usage to rhetorical skills. There is increased focus on diction, including commonly confused words and homophones. The 1 or 2 Data Interpretation questions are quite basic in the Writing section. | ||
Science
| 2005-2015 SAT | REDESIGNED SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| No Science section | No dedicated Science section | ACT Science Test |
| No Science questions | Data Interpretation Science questions peppered in the Math, Reading, and Writing sections | 40 questions (35 minutes) |
The redesigned SAT offers students much more time per question on all sections compared to the current test and the ACT. For this reason, some students may be drawn to the new assessment. The increased difficulty, however, will undoubtedly prove challenging for some test takers. We highly recommend that students take both the SAT and the ACT at least once to see which test plays to their strengths and which test exposes their weaknesses.