The Potier Foundation, Inc.

Not failure, but low aim is a sin.
Benjamin E. Mays

SAT Average Scores and Gains, by Race and Ethnicity, 2005

Racial/ Ethnic Group	% of SAT Takers	Verbal Average	1-Year Verbal Gain	10-Year Verbal Gain	Math Average	1-Year Math Gain	10-Year Math Gain
Native American	1%	489	6	9	493	5	17
Asian	10%	511	4	19	580	3	25
Black	12%	433	3	1	431	4	9
Mexican American	5%	453	2	0	458	5	5
Puerto Rican	1%	460	3	12	457	5	13
Other Hispanic	4%	463	2	-2	469	4	1
White	62%	532	4	7	536	5	15
Other	4%	495	1	-12	513	5	3
All students	100%	508	0	4	520	2

 

SAT: Current Test vs. New Test     Current SAT New SAT Test Format 7 multiple-choice sections: ·  3 Math ·  3 Verbal Reasoning ·  1 experimental 9 multiple-choice sections: 3 Math 3 "Critical Reading" (formerly Verbal Reasoning) 2 Writing (multiple-choice and essay) 1 experimental Math Section Content: Arithmetic Algebra I Geometry Question Types: Multiple-choice Student Produced Responses (Grid-Ins) Quantitative Comparisons Content: Arithmetic Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Question Types: Multiple Choice Student Produced Responses (Grid-Ins) No more Quantitative Comparisons! Verbal Section ·  Analogies ·  Sentence Completion ·  Reading Comprehension (long passages) Name of section will change from "Verbal Reasoning" to "Critical Reading" No more Analogies! Sentence Completion Reading Comprehension (long and new short reading passages) Writing Section None Multiple-choice questions that test standard rules of grammar: Error Identifications, Improving Sentences, and Improving Paragraphs Essay section Scoring 1 Math score 200 - 800 1 Verbal score 200 - 800 Total score 400 - 1600 1 Math score 200 - 800 1 Critical Reading score 200-800 1 Writing score 200 - 800 (essay sub-score, 2 - 12 incorporated to total Writing score) Total score 600 - 2400 Testing Time 3 hours 3 1/2 hours Cost $26 $36 - $38

 The New SAT--Top 10 Things You Should Know

Article provided by The Princeton Review

The SAT is changing, but there's no reason to get testy about it. In fact, students and parents should be somewhat relieved. The new test is expected to be easier to beat than the old test and is considered more coachable. The biggest change to the test is the addition of a new writing section, meaning there will now be three parts to the SAT: Math, Critical Reading (formerly the Verbal section), and Writing.

New SAT vs. Current SAT ... At A Glance

	New SAT (Class of 2006)	Current SAT (Class of 2005)
Math	-No quantitative comparisons -New Algebra II questions -More time per question	-Lots of quantitative comparisons -No Algebra II
Verbal	-No analogies! -New short (100-200 words) critical reading passages	-Plenty of analogies -No short critical reading passages
Writing	-New error-identification questions -New essay	-No writing section
Scoring	-Three sections, worth 200-800 points each -Max score is 2,400 points -Median score will be about 1,500	-Two sections, worth 200-800 points each -Max score is 1,600 -Median score is about 1,000

 

New SAT Top 10

1. Who should take the new SAT?
Any student in the class of 2006, 2007, or any year after that should take ONLY the new SAT. Here's why: All schools will accept the new test for that age group, but many schools have already said they will not accept the current SAT from them. Why waste time and money studying for a test that no one's going to accept? The class of 2005 should take the current SAT.

2. Important dates
The current SAT sings its swan song on January 22, 2005. That will be the last time the test will be administered. The first new PSAT will be given in October 2004. The first new SAT will be given in March 2005.

3. Cost
Gee, this is a big shocker: It will cost more money to take the new SAT. The price of taking the test will increase by $10 to $12 dollars, bringing the total price up to approximately $38, depending on where you live.

4. The best way to prep
The key to prepping for the new SAT is to make sure your learning materials are up-to-date and reflect the changes made to the new test. If you use a private tutor or take a class, be sure your instructor is trained and certified to teach the new SAT--many aren't yet. If you're not careful, you could end up prepping for the wrong test, and that won't do anyone any good come test day.

5. What about the new PSAT?
It's a good idea for anyone planning to take the new SAT to take the new PSAT first. It's great practice for the new test because it mirrors the changes in the new SAT with two exceptions: It will not include an essay question and it will not have any Algebra II on it.

6. The first--and possibly easiest--new SAT
Here's a pretty good tip. People in the testing industry expect that the first new SAT administered to be graded on a slightly more lenient curve than other SATs. That means students who prep for and take the first new test will probably be rewarded for their courage.

7. How the new test is scored
Each of the three sections on the new SAT is scored on a 200- to 800-point scale. The max score (equivalent to a 1,600 on the current SAT) is a 2,400. Sorry parents, but that pretty much guarantees your kids will beat your old SAT scores. The median score will be somewhere around 1,500, 1,800 will be a good score, and 2,100 or above means you're going Ivy League.

8. Changes to the math section--the math adds up
It's true. There will be advanced math questions (Algebra II) on the new SAT. But it's also true that there will be so few Algebra II questions that a student could answer every one wrong and not affect his or her score. Also, there will be NO quantitative comparison questions on the new SAT. (Quantitative comparisons ask students to compare an equation in "column A" with "column B" and say which is greater.) Plus, students will have a bit more time per question. That means they can be more relaxed as they complete the math section. And usually, More Time + Less Stress = Higher Scores.

9. The new writing section is beatable--end of story
The new writing section is supposed to test a student's grasp of grammar and diction. It will have some questions requiring students to identify errors in sentences and paragraphs, and it will have (gasp) an essay. But there's no reason to panic. The graders will be looking for specific qualities in each essay (such as organization and supporting statements) rather than writing style. That means students can do very well on this section, once they learn to give the graders what they want. In fact, we expect our students to make some of their biggest score gains on the essay section of the test.

10. Changes to the verbal section--the last word
First, some good news: Analogies will be completely eliminated from the test! Maybe someone at the College Board finally decided that knowing the relationship between a "gregarious agrarian" and a "cantankerous crustacean" has very little to do with what college a student should get into. There will also be some sentence completion questions, and a new short reading section. The short reading section will consist of a few short passages (100-200 words) followed by several questions. The section is expected to be straightforward and relatively simple. One more thing, the Verbal section will now be called the Critical Reading section.

 

So those are the basic changes. The new sections and questions are all easy to handle if students have prepped well. But remember, not everything about the new SAT will be different from the current one. Both tests are pretty formulaic in that they ask specific types of questions and--try to keep this one in mind come test day--neither test needs to cause you stress.

www.princetonreview.com Review Website)