New SAT Makes Debut
UPDATED: 9:14 pm EST March 12,
2005
YORK, Pa. -- Thousands of high school students take the SAT each year, but now the test is getting an overhaul.The changes have students and parents nervous.High school student Mike Hetrick is planning to attend college in the fall. He's a good student, but the Hanover High senior was nervous when he took the SAT.
"I don't know, lot of pressure, what I'm gonna do with my future and stuff," Hetrick said.Hetrick is also concerned because the SAT is debuting a new exam, one he's heard is much harder."I heard there's gonna be a lot more geometry and stuff on it," Hetrick said."It's a very big deal," Jennifer Martin, with the Sylvan Learning Center in Lancaster, Pa., told TV station WGAL.Martin said students have reason to be concerned. The changes on the SAT are significant."I think kids are nervous because they don't know what to expect and what they're looking for," Martin said.The entire test has been overhauled in order to better reflect what high school students are learning.There are no more analogies and some math sections have been eliminated.But some things have been beefed up, like harder math questions and more critical reading."The newest part of the SAT is a whole new section. There is now a writing, grammar section of the SAT that was not part of the test before," Martin said.Test administrators said the redesigned test isn't harder than the old one -- just different, according to The Associated Press. But that hasn't kept a record number of kids from using test preparation companies like Princeton Review and Kaplan for help.Martin said there are some strategies you can use to do better on the test.For example, the essay section will ask students to voice their opinion."The biggest thing is whatever you choose, support it the whole way through. Don't be wishy-washy. That'll be huge in your score," Martin said.Also, don't be afraid to leave questions blank, she said. And, above all, try to stay relaxed.The first group of students will take the new SAT this Saturday.
College Board: Learn More About SATPBS: Secrets Of The SAT: Are They Fair, Reliable?How Stuff Works: How SATs Work "I don't know, lot of pressure, what I'm gonna do with my future and stuff," Hetrick said.Hetrick is also concerned because the SAT is debuting a new exam, one he's heard is much harder."I heard there's gonna be a lot more geometry and stuff on it," Hetrick said."It's a very big deal," Jennifer Martin, with the Sylvan Learning Center in Lancaster, Pa., told TV station WGAL.Martin said students have reason to be concerned. The changes on the SAT are significant."I think kids are nervous because they don't know what to expect and what they're looking for," Martin said.The entire test has been overhauled in order to better reflect what high school students are learning.There are no more analogies and some math sections have been eliminated.But some things have been beefed up, like harder math questions and more critical reading."The newest part of the SAT is a whole new section. There is now a writing, grammar section of the SAT that was not part of the test before," Martin said.Test administrators said the redesigned test isn't harder than the old one -- just different, according to The Associated Press. But that hasn't kept a record number of kids from using test preparation companies like Princeton Review and Kaplan for help.Martin said there are some strategies you can use to do better on the test.For example, the essay section will ask students to voice their opinion."The biggest thing is whatever you choose, support it the whole way through. Don't be wishy-washy. That'll be huge in your score," Martin said.Also, don't be afraid to leave questions blank, she said. And, above all, try to stay relaxed.The first group of students will take the new SAT this Saturday.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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