With the SAT coming up and the people stressing over it, people have been considering getting rid of the SAT exam. Some people choose to do it, some to skip it. This could make a huge impact on schools all over America. Let’s see what’s happening right now!
The SAT is undergoing major changes right now. According to Dana Goldstein, a writer at The New York Times, “The SAT will now be fully digital for the remote-learning generation. The College Board said its piloting of the exam showed it was just as rigorous as the paper test but less intimidating for students.” This could improve the way people see the SAT and make them feel better about it.
Speaking of another big change, Ashley Robinson states “The digital SAT will be shorter, reading passages will be more concise, questions will be more direct, and students will have access to a wider range of digital tools. The goal of these changes is to streamline the test-taking process and give students a smoother exam experience.” This change allows students to work on the test more efficiently with the tool they need right on their screen! It also makes the questions more direct allowing the students to get right to the point. The SAT is now being remade to make it easier and make everyone happy! But there are some collages who don’t take it anymore! Why? Let’s find out!
Recent studies have shown that people with a background of lower-income families score lower on the SAT. An article from Harvard EDU, written by Elizabeth Christopher, states “Perhaps the bigger reason, is the belief that making submissions of SAT or ACT scores optional is fairer and more equitable for students that come from less-advantaged backgrounds. Data shows that students from high-income families on average score higher than those who come from lower-income families.” With the decline in the economy, people have had less time to study and have been trying to get a part-time job to help support their families. This causes lower SAT scores and colleges would have no reason to take the scores anymore.
Another reason why people stopped taking SAT scores is race diversity scores. Studies from the New York Times writer David Leonhardt have shown that “Many consider the tests to be unfair because there are score gaps by race and class. Average scores for modest-income, Black, and Hispanic students are lower than those for white, Asian, and upper-income students. The tests’ critics worry that reinstating test requirements will reduce diversity.” People everywhere are disappointed that they studied too hard just for their scores to not even matter at all. Now that we have seen both why some people continue to try and keep the SAT and why others don’t want to, let’s see the history of the SAT,
The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT exam, has been around since 1926. It was designed by Carl Brigham, to test the limits on soldier’s academic skills. Soon it was moved to schools to test students’ academic skills. Once the results were in, they were given to colleges, and the scores were compared to see who would be accepted. This was a simple way to get results and accept people into colleges.
After all these years, the SAT has changed a lot. The difference is that the old SAT featured three main sections: Critical Reading, Writing & Essay, and Math. The new SAT combined reading and writing into one section of the “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing” section, with a separate, optional essay section. Another major thing that changed from the old SAT to the new SAT is that the new format prioritizes analytical skills and real-world problem-solving abilities. Since the redesign, average scores have increased slightly, possibly due to the focus on more relevant skills and the elimination of obscure vocabulary that was part of the older test versions.
The SAT has seen all of it, from the military to schools, and now to its removal, it has been a big part of schools for the longest time. If colleges decide to either keep it or leave the SAT, it will forever be remembered by those who took it as one of the most important parts of a student’s career.
