College Board, the owner and developer of SAT, has introduced major changes to the standardised test undertaken by high school students for college admissions in the United States.
The revised SAT college admission test will no longer include a timed essay, will focus on less fancy vocabulary and will be scored on 1600-points in an attempt to increase access to colleges. Plus, the Board promises to offer new test-preparation tutorials free online to help students who are unable to attend costly SAT-prep classes.
This is the second time in this century that changes have been made to the test. The recently introduced changes will be effective early 2016.
SAT words such as 'punctilious,' 'phlegmatic' and 'occlusion' have long prompted students to carry flashcards with them. In an attempt to stop such behaviour, the Board decided to incorporate vocabulary frequently used in colleges. The Board hasn't yet disclosed the words that have been removed.
The private, non-profit organisation has also abolished the rule of deducting a quarter-point for each wrong answer to multiple-choice questions that prevented students from guessing the answers. The essay will now become optional and the 2400-point scale established nine years ago has now been replaced with 1600-point scoring scale.
Through the exam modifications, College Board aims at making SAT more reachable, simple and on levels equivalent to high school teachings. "It is time for an admissions assessment that makes it clear that the road to success is not last-minute tricks or cramming, but the learning students do over years," David Coleman, the College Board's president, said. The SAT, he said, "will no longer stand apart from . . . daily studies and learning," Washington Post reports.
Coleman said the organization will partner with the nonprofit Khan Academy to present free SAT prep for students across the world.
"The College Board cannot stand by while some test-prep providers intimidate parents at all levels of income into the belief that the only way they can secure their child's success is to pay for costly test preparation and coaching," Coleman said. "If we believe that assessment must be a force for equity and excellence, it's time to shake things up," Boston Globe reports.
