When Does the SAT Change?

March 12, 2005 is the first administration of the new test.

Who Takes It?

Class of 2006 and beyond.

What's Changing
 
  • New scoring: Your score will be calculated differently. The new "perfect" score will be 2400 instead of 1600, making it that much easier to beat your parents' SAT scores!

     
  • Longer test: The new test is 30 minutes longer than the old test (3.5 hours instead of 3 hours).

     
  • Verbal section changes
    • The "SAT Verbal Reasoning" section is being renamed "SAT Critical Reading Exam" because of the increased focus on reading comprehension. There will now be more and different types of reading questions.
    • The analogies section (YAWN: BORING) has been eliminated.
    • There will be a new writing section where you will write an essay, and you'll be tested on the rules of standard English grammar. This will be similar to the current SAT-II writing exam

     
  • Math section changes
    • The level of mathematical difficulty will increase.
    • Algebra II concepts will be added, as well as functions, more geometry, data analysis, and statistics.
    • The quantitative comparison questions will be removed.

       
  • Cost: The new SAT will be $10-12 more expensive than the old one. After all, this much extra testing fun doesn't come cheaply.