Major alterations to the SAT college entrance exam are the College Board's most recent response to criticisms of standardized testing. For the first time since 2005, the Board announced a redesign, which will take effect in the spring of 2016, and free preparation tools that will be offered for the first time next spring.
The new test will more closely mirror classroom curriculum than its current version, as standardized tests have become too out of touch with in-school learning, according to David Coleman, College Board president and CEO.
"They're too stressful for students, too filled with mystery and 'tricks' to raise scores and aren't necessarily creating more college-ready students," Coleman said at an event in Austin, Texas, according to a March 6 CNN article.
Additionally, only 20 percent of classroom teachers have said that they feel that standardized tests are an accurate representation of students' work in high school, according to Coleman in a March 5 article from the New York Times. More colleges have also begun to accept "test optional" applications, where standardized tests are not considered in admissions.
In order to address the concerns about the SAT, the test will undergo eight key changes, according to College Board. For example, the redesigned test will focus on more relevant words in vocabulary sections and will ask students to cite evidence for their responses in reading and writing sections.
The new format will include three sections: evidence-based reading and writing, math and an optional essay. The essay section will now ask students to read a passage and explain how the author builds an argument. The test will no longer penalize for incorrect answers, like the ACT. The SAT will now be scored out of 1600, instead of 2400.
After the March 5 announcements, Tufts students commented on the developments.
"[These changes are] definitely a step in the right direction," sophomore Sarah Reitzes, co-president of the Tufts Education Society (TES), said. "The changes sound like they will make it geared more toward what you learn in school, but we'll have to see."
However, Reitzes questioned the general effectiveness of the SAT in the college admissions process.
"Since it's hard to compare different high schools, I see why colleges want something like a uniform test score that they can compare among all applicants, but it definitely shouldn't be the main factor," Reitzes said.
A critical component of the changes involves a partnership between College Board and Khan Academy to provide free test preparation materials, according to CNN. Reitzes noted the importance of this step in solving some of the problems faced by those with lower incomes.
"I think [this change] will definitely help people who otherwise would have no preparation, but I think it will definitely be important that they make sure to get the word out about that to people in low-income areas," Reitzes said. "I still think private tutors are probably going to be more effective, but hopefully the new changes will help limit the effectiveness of private tutors."
Standardized test preparation has boomed as a business in the recent years, offering high school students who can afford it tips to improve their scores, which many believe may boost the chances of getting into a college of their choice.
"I think one of the most important changes their offering is free test preparation to try and close the achievement gap between those who can afford test prep and those who cannot," sophomore Kyle Allen, an editorialist for the Daily, said.
Senior Neil Aronson spent his summer working with Revolution Prep, a start-up company that offers high-scoring college students from top universities the opportunity to start their own test prep businesses. He discussed the strategy-driven tactics he used when tutoring high school students.
"The main thing that I would teach, and that is this company's philosophy, is that the test is not measuring anything except how well you can take the test," Aronson said. "There are very specific strategies you can use to do much better on the test, just by understanding the way the questions are conceived, what kind of answers they are looking for."
Aronson expressed positive sentiments about the free preparatory materials for the test, given his first-hand insight.
"I saw through my own experience that with some training, I could raise most students' scores by a couple hundred points on the test," Aronson said. "That kind of shows that having the right kind of prep really does make a big difference."
Aronson also commented on the difficulty that comes for students who cannot afford the cost of private test preparation.
"I know that for me, I was able to offer some basic financial aid, and give people discounts, but a lot of times it comes down to who has the money, and whose parents are going to push them," he said.
Both Aronson and Reitzes commented on the ability of these changes to remove the discrepancy in the availability of test preparation materials. Whether or not free online materials will replace the effectiveness of a private tutor, however, remains a question.
"It's clear that income is affecting SAT performance," Reitzes said. "I hope it will be effective. I think they'll probably need to do more, but hopefully this will help with that."
Aronson explained that by removing some of the tricks and traps in favor of a clearer test, preparation will no longer be as much about specific SAT-based test taking strategies in comparison to years past. Tufts Admissions, however, remains unsure of how the new changes in the exam will affect the university's admission process.
"The announcement about the new SAT came at a time that has not allowed us much time to learn about the new format," Susan Garrity Ardizzoni, director of Undergraduate Admissions, told the Daily in an email. "We have a meeting scheduled with a representative of the New England College Board the first week in April so that the staff is up to speed and we are able to speak about it knowledgably."
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