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We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date resources and announcements from the college admissions testing landscape. Here are some of the top headlines from this past month:
Who Benefits from the New Summer SAT?
By James Murphy, The Atlantic
Summary: For the first time since the mid ’70s, the College Board will offer a summertime SAT date. Starting in 2017, students have the option to sit for an August SAT which will replace the usual January exam. An August SAT allows students to use the summer months to prep for the exam without having to worry about schoolwork. It also provides one more opportunity for students to take the SAT before college applications are due, not to mention giving the College Board more time to get score reports out. But, replacing the January exam comes at a cost—students who plan to take AP exams in the spring also have to balance prepping for a spring SAT test date. The January exam allowed them to avoid the overlap. Additionally, an August test date means students will be testing at the height of summer. Some test centers may not have air conditioning; furthermore, teachers and counselors will have to sacrifice their summer breaks to administer the exam.
What this means: This news bears pros and cons, however, we predict that the summer SAT will eventually become one of the most popular test dates. Overall, the August exam fits in nicely with the timeline for prep as well as the college application process. Below is a breakdown of how the summer test date will affect each class, taken from ArborBridge’s blog post:
Current juniors (class of 2017): Ignore the change. You’ll be done with college applications before it goes into effect.
Current sophomores (class of 2018): You’ll be testing right in the middle of the change. During your junior year you will see the old testing schedule. During the your senior year you will see the new testing schedule. This is a big win for you! It means you get an extra test day: you get January in junior year AND August in senior year.
Current freshmen (class of 2019): When you start taking the SAT in your junior and senior years, the new schedule will apply.
Test-optional policy adds to dramatic application increase
By Ellie Smith and Jeanine Marie, The GW Hatchet
Summary: George Washington University’s decision to go test optional in 2016 has been paying off—they recently released data reflecting a 28% increase in the number of applicants this year (almost 6,000 more applicants than last year). About 20% of applicants did not submit scores after GW waived the requirement to include test scores in applications. This year’s group of applicants includes a higher number of Latino, African-American, and first-generation students, demonstrating that going test optional provides students of diverse racial and financial backgrounds with the more opportunities to apply to college.
What this means: It appears that going test optional is working well for schools. We may see more colleges and universities giving it a shot. What remains unclear is whether or not test optional is actually better for the students themselves, and not just for schools’ numbers.
PARCC Scores Lower for Students Who Took Exams on Computers
By Benjamin Herold, Education Week
Summary: Students who took the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) exam in 2014-2015 on a computer scored lower than students who took the paper-based test. The score differences were “most pronounced in English/language arts and middle- and upper-grades math”. This sheds light on standardized tests’ (such as the ACT) decision to offer computer-based testing. Poorer performance may be attributed to students’ unfamiliarity with the computer interface or limitations making annotations in math and reading in particular.
What this means: The ACT now offers computer-based testing and many students are wondering whether or not they should switch from paper-testing. ArborBridge strongly recommends against computer-based testing for reasons very similar to those stated above—students are not familiar with taking 3 to 4 hour long exams on a screen, nor are they used to taking notes digitally. Stick with the paper test as long as it’s available!
Something You Should Know About the New SAT
By Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
Summary: Students taking the SAT on Saturday might see an experimental section in their exam. The additional multiple-choice section will only (potentially) appear for students who opted out of the essay. It will not be given to students with test accommodations. We know that the experimental section will be 20 minutes long and comes at the end of the exam. However, we are still in the dark about the section’s content and question types.
What this means: If you are taking the SAT on Saturday and opted out of the essay section, don’t be surprised if you see a fifth multiple-choice section on your exam! It’s best to be prepared for anything.
ACT Procedures for Investigating Testing Irregularities
Summary: The ACT released an informative packet explaining its procedure when the validity of a student’s score is questionable (e.g. if cheating is suspected). The most important points are highlighted below:
If your score is cancelled because of cheating suspicions, the ACT does not give colleges the reason.
If you are under review for cheating, you have the right to submit paperwork and explanations to defend yourself.
If the ACT decides to retest you to see if you scores are valid, you need to get a Composite score within 3 points of the original Composite for them to validate your original, suspect score.
If you are under investigation, the ACT will still release your scores to a college so as not to hold up your application process. But, if they find an irregularity they have the right to notify the college and cancel your score.
What this means: As a test taker, it’s always good to be as informed as possible about these policies. Take a brief look through this document and make sure you know what to do should you find yourself in this situation!
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