Exponential functions are now appearing twice as often on test day as they do on tests in the Official College Board SAT guidebook.
ACT vs SAT Reading Difference #2
The ACT & SAT Reading are two different beasts! Over the next few weeks we will explore how they match up!
#2: Questions about specific details in the passage on the SAT & ACT are fundamentally different: the SAT requires far more careful textual analysis. These types of questions on the ACT are much more obvious. The pinch on the ACT is that you have substantially less time.
The two Reading tests boil down to a question of difficulty (SAT) vs time pressure (ACT).
ACT vs SAT Reading Difference #1
The ACT & SAT Reading are two different beasts! Over the next few weeks we will explore how they match up!
#1: One of the biggest differences between the two tests - outside of time per question (ACT = 52 seconds; SAT 85 seconds) - is that HALF of the ACT questions require you to search the passage to find the answers, whereas on the SAT they make up but a QUATER of the test.
The Nitty Gritty of SAT Punctuation
On the March 2019 SAT - there were 8 Punctuation Questions: 6 Comma Qs, 1 Apostrophe Q, 1 Colon Q. 4 Comma Qs tested the difference between essential & nonessential clauses; 2 tested the difference between independent and dependent clauses.
Changes on the Math No Calculator Test
Questions 19 & 20 on the Math No Calculator Test were previously about testing more detailed - or involved - math principles. In the last year, however, these questions have become more about applying a logic or “guess-timation” step. Simply put - look for the trick before you go to trying to solve these questions formally!
Under the Radar: Changes to the ACT's Reading & English Tests
While its competitor, the College Board, announced to the world that the SAT was undergoing substantive changes, the ACT Inc. took an alternative route. Arguably, the ACT Inc. did not completely overhaul its test. It is also true that there was some evidence that the ACT was evolving over the course of 2015-2016. However, the nature and extent of the changes to the test only became apparent with the publication of the new ACT Official Guide (May 31, 2016). These structural and substantive changes to the ACT are significant enough to require study and reflection as to how they impact test strategies. This article briefly identifies those changes. If there is a take away message, it is this: the June 11, 2016 administration of the ACT marked an inflection point. Students, if you took the test prior to June, you need to get current before trying again... things have changed.
Deep Dive Into the Redesigned SAT: Reading Section
This article draws on University Select’s categorization and statistical analysis of the question types in publicly available SAT 2400, ACT, and SAT 1600 Reading Sections. University Select’s analysis differs significantly from the description of the Reading section offered by the College Board, the author of the test. Our goal is to see into the test—beyond the touted structural changes—to get a feel for how the passages, questions, and the test-taking experience have been reconfigured. We see several significant changes, outlined in greater depth in Sections I & II:
Deep Dive Into the Redesigned SAT: Writing Section
The new SAT 1600 has not only students, but also parents and educators anxious. Prepping for standardized testing is grounded in degrees of predictability. In other words, test prep is all about knowing what to expect on test day. A new test means a lesser degree of predictability, and therefore greater difficulty in preparation. How do students prep for and educators best teach to a test that will debut in March 2016?
The New SAT: Preview and Initial Thoughts
Here at University Select, we have been diving deep into the revised SAT practice tests recently released by the College Board as a preview to the changes that will take effect in spring 2016. We are just as curious about the new test as high school students, parents, and guidance counselors are, so we have spent the past two weeks familiarizing ourselves with the practice tests and understanding the substantive changes. Using our unique system of categorization and analysis, we pored over each new practice test to identify recurring question types, highlight noteworthy changes, and break down each section to understand the underlying concepts driving the test. The result of this work is a holistic approach to tackling the redesigned SAT—a method that strips the test of its mystery and offers a clear path for diligent preparation.
The Ever-Changing SAT
As many parents and students already know, the newly designed SAT is ready to launch in the spring of 2016. Revised by the College Board, the organization responsible for administering the SAT, the new test drops the required essay (it’s now optional), reverts back to a 1600-point scoring system, and emphasizes evidence-based reading and writing, amongst other changes (Balf, 2014).