What changes are likely to be made in SAT 2016 test?
Certification: Test Prep SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAT test will have to undergo sweeping changes on "what the test assesses, scoring of the test and preparation of students for the test. The reason it has to happen is because standardized tests so far have become too disconnected from high school work, making it stressful for students not to raise the required scores and hence the few number of students joining colleges. The SAT test for the year 2016 will focus on useful details than the previous version did. The redesigned SAT will focus on few relevant issues in preparation of students for college studies and success in careers. Below are some of the changes that the 2016 SAT will exhibit:
Ability to give Evidence
Students will take questions in Evidence-Based Reading, writing and in the Essay sections that will require them to support answers with proof. Each student will be required to show his or her ability to interpret, combine and use proof from informational graphics and multi-paragraph passages. The passages contain literature and nonfiction content: tests in the history, sciences, humanities and the social studies, the career related sources. For each passage that the student will read in the SAT Reading test, the student will be required to answer a question that requires proof to support the answer from the passage. For passages integrated with informational graphics, students will be required to combine the information that has been conveyed through each section to answer the question.
SAT writing and language test questions will also demand evidence to support answers, and student will be required to analyze a series of paragraphs to make sure they are grammatically and substantively correct. Other questions will be asking the student to interpret graphics and edit accompanying passages to convey the graphics information.
An essay will need a student to demonstrate command of the evidence too. How? Students will be required to analyze the provided source text and determine how the author builds an argument that convinces readers through the use of persuasive tools, stylistic and reasoning. Also, student will have to write a cogent and an analysis supported by critical evidence and reasoning drawn from the source.
Get the meaning of words used in phrases
In this case, SAT will be focusing on regular words and students will be required to interpret their meaning as used in the passage in which they appear. Although it will be demanding, it will be beneficial since these are words which students have used and will continue using throughout their lives. Requirement for students to master relevant vocabulary will change the way they prepare for the exam. They will not have to cram the meaning of weird and uncommon words. What is more, students will be engaged in close reading and honor classroom work.
Contexts on Routine life problems
Under this area, the type of questions that students will be required to answer will relate to the real world, questions which are directly related to work in colleges and career. Questions under the reading section will include literature and literary nonfiction. Students will be required to correct errors by editing and revising the texts extracted from history, humanities, and social science and career contexts. Students will analyze a scenario, and several questions asked about it, they will be expected to dig into the situation, think about it and then model it mathematically.
Analysis in History/Social Studies and Science
When taking the redesigned SAT, students will be asked to apply their skills in reading, writing, language and mathematics to solve history, science and social studies problems. There will be challenging texts and informational graphics that students will encounter pertaining issues and topics like writing section and math section. Questions will need students to read and comprehend texts, revise it to ensure it is consistent with data presented in graphics, synthesize presented information through texts and solve problems based on science and social science.
Topics Relating to Global context and Founding of Nations
Every time a student will be taking SAT test they will have to encounter a passage from the global conversation or one of the founding documents. In this way, there is a hope that SAT tests will be inspiring close reading of these meaningful way as an opportunity to reflect and deeply engage with issues and concerns to informed citizenship.
Essay that critics a source
The new redesigned SAT essay section will be very different from the current SAT. The new essay section will be designed to support teachers and high school students to emphasize close reading, clear writing and careful analysis. It will promote the practice of analyzing how authors do their jobs as writers and reading a wide variety of arguments. Essay prompt will always be shared in before the actual date of testing and remain unchanged. Nonetheless, the essay section will be an optional constituent part of the SAT.
Relevant Mathematic Problems
The examination here will focus on three main areas of math: The heart of algebra, passport to advanced mathematics, and problem solving and data analysis. Problem solving and data analysis will be literary quantitative and will include percentages, ratios and proportional reasoning to solve scientific, social science and career contexts problems. The Heart of Algebra, on the other hand, will concentrate on linear equations and systems. Passport to advance mathematics will be more concerned with the students' familiarity with complex equations and manipulations they requires. Also, the Math section will have to feature multistep procedures which will help to solve scientific and social science related problems.
The current research shows that this area contributes a lot to students' readiness for college and career training. Also, Mathematics examination will have simple additional topics i.e. geometry and trigonometric skills.
Wrong Answers will not attract Penalties
There will be no penalties for any wrong answers that the student will have given while they will earn points for questions answered correctly. It will inspire and encourage them to give best answers to every problem.