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The Hoopla Over The New SAT ScoresPosted by Kathy |
May 13
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Not to be confused with the previous fracas over College Board scoring the October SAT test incorrectly, universities have reported widespread declines in the SAT scores of their current applicant pool. Some public universities are reporting 12 to 15 point drops in scores even though class rank and academic coursework have been just as strong as in previous years. College Board’s email response to concerned admissions directors during the last month indicated that there was a 4 to 5 point drop in the average national scores for the critical reading and math sections compared to the same sections on last year’s test. They have also assured that the new test format for this year was closely equated with the old test so that scoring differences would not be noticed. Obviously, this has not been the case. Average scores on the ACT, a rival exam also used for college admission, were similar to last year.
While educators find this decline puzzling, perhaps College Board should consider the following factors while they analyze the scoring data for the next few months (their final report on this year’s test scores is due by August): 1) test fatigue, as this year’s test is 45 minutes longer; 2) the new test costs $41.50 vs. $24, so there may be less repeat test takers; 3) the testing format is different than previous years with a new writing section.
2 Comments | Tags: 401Kid College Savings Blog, College Admissions |Discuss this topics in the forum
18 Apr 2007 - 22:38
As a survivor of the new SAT format, I would like to point out that students, especially from Bangladesh, are eager to go through all the hurdles – longer time, the increased cost and even the new writing section, to achieve a good score to get admitted to a good university or college. But it really does not work out in that way. We, students of Bangladesh, have always known that SAT scores comprise of a major portion of a student’s elgibility for admission. But it seems we have to dispose of our ideology. As for example, my friend from high school, Nahim, achieved a perfect 2400 in SAT I in the first try. It was an amazing, no, unbelievable score. The rest of the story is very sad considering that he got rejected from top Ivy League schools and got a meager amount of financial aid from Amherst college. His essay was standard, I won’t say exceptional; but it was good enough when combined with his SAT scores. He doesn’t know himself what went wrong, but he was pretty broken after his decisions came in. So I guess, the new SAT format is kind of unnerving for us international students. And the test fatigue does wear us out and few of us can handle the surprise section of the new SAT test due to its unpredictibility.
23 Oct 2011 - 18:06
It would be interesting if (the person who posted just before me) wrote his message to deter his fellow Bangladeshis from taking the new SAT.
L