1 2 3 Welcome! ACT Updates PSAT & SAT Overhaul The Transition Year College Admissions and Your Student

ACT: Enhanced Scoring + Writing Test PSAT: New Test Launches Test Change Timeline ACT: Enhanced Scoring + Writing Test SAT: New Test Launches PSAT: New Test Launches SAT: 2nd to Last Current Test SAT: Last Current Test Mar 2015 June 2015 Sept 2015 Oct 2015 Dec 2015 Jan 2016 Mar 2016

Updated ACT Overview Scoring Math Reading Category Features No changes to 1-36 scoring New scores reported ELA STEM Career Readiness Text Complexity Scoring Math More probability & statistics Reading New paired passages

Updated ACT Overview Essay Category Features Now requires analysis of 3 different perspectives More scores provided Ideas and analysis Development and support Organization Language use Essay

New SAT Overview Structure Timing Scoring Category Features Evidence-based Reading & Writing Math Optional Essay Structure Timing 3 hours + 50 minutes with Optional Essay Now scored on a scale of 1600 New optional Essay scored separately No more guessing penalty Scoring

Test & Cross-Test Scores Scoring Details Composite Score Sum of the two Area Scores Range of 400 - 1600 Area Score Math Range of 200 - 800 Area Score Evidence-Based Reading + Writing Range of 200 - 800 This section is complicated but important! There are significant changes to scoring The Composite score - most similar to the score we know and love - is a sum of two area scores One Area score for Math, one for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing The two area scores are translated from three test scores - Math, Reading, and Writing & Language - these tests are scored on a scale of 10-40. Test & Cross-Test Scores 3 Test Scores: Math, Reading, and Writing & Language 2 Cross-Test Scores: Science, History/Social Studies Range of 10 - 40

New SAT Overview Category Features Evidence-based Reading & Writing Reading and Writing combined into new Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Area Passage topics include US and World Literature, History/Social Studies, and Sciences Reading details: Writing and Language details: Evidence-based Reading & Writing 500 - 750 word passages 65 minutes 400 - 500 word passages 35 minutes

New SAT Overview Math Category Features Three areas of concentrated focus: Problem solving and data analysis “The Heart of Algebra” “Passport to Advanced Math” New enhanced grid-in Multi-step student constructed response question 80 minutes 25 minutes without a calculator 55 minutes with a calculator Math

New SAT Overview Essay Category Features Optional 50 minutes Read & analyze a 650-750 word document Write about how the author builds an argument Tests reading, analysis, and writing skills Essay

PSAT/NMSQT Overview Structure Timing Scoring Category Features Aligned with the New SAT, and almost the same length Structure Timing 2 hours, 45 minutes Now scored on a scale of 320-1520 No more guessing penalty Scoring Slide 10: The Scoring, Timing, and Structure of the new PSAT/NMSQT, which will be first administered in October 2015, is starting to look remarkably similar to the SAT. Animation 1: The overall structure of two Areas - Math and Evidence-based Reading & Writing - is the same. The difficulty level of these questions, however, will be grade appropriate, so less advanced than the new SAT. Animation 2: The timing of the PSAT is just 15 minutes shorter than the SAT. Animation 3: There is also not guessing penalty on the new PSAT. But, instead of a 400-1600 composite score range, like on the new SAT, the score range for the new PSAT is 320-1520.

PSAT & New SAT Scoring SAT: 400-1600 PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520 300 600 900 1200 1500 Composite Score Range

New PSAT Score Report

New PSAT Score Report

Current SAT vs. New SAT Data Analysis/Problem Solving Numbers & Operations Reading Comprehension Grammar/Usage/Mechanics Words in Context Evidence-based Algebra SAT Words Rhetorical Skills Rhetorical Skills Geometry Geometry Algebra Essay Trig Reading Math Writing & Language

New SAT and ACT: 5 Key Differences The New SAT has a greater focus on History & Social Studies passages Both focus on Algebra, but the New SAT has a greater emphasis on Data Analysis & Problem Solving The ACT requires more Science reading The New SAT requires more mental math The New SAT has grid-in questions, and an extended thinking grid-in question ACT? New SAT? What’s the Difference?

The New SAT & College Admissions First New SAT administration 21 days + up to 4 weeks for scores to be available Concordance tables Released in December for the PSAT and May for the SAT New and Old SAT scores Schools will accept both scores for a 3-year transition period

New SAT: To be Determined Will schools “Superscore” the Old & New? Probably not Will schools require the optional Essay? Likely at competitive schools What impact will Test and Cross-Test Scores have on admissions? Depends

Test Paths Student Profile Test Path Early Decision APs and Subject Tests SAT or ACT New SAT Regular Decision ACT not an option Great Test Taker New SAT, ACT, & Current SAT Anxious test taker Obvious strengths with one test Pick one

Top Factors in College Admissions

Top factors in college admissions1 #1: Grades in College Prep Courses Including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual-enrollment courses Advanced Placement Courses ✓ Available in almost every subject, from calculus and English to French and psychology ✓ Accepted as credits by many colleges ✓ At least one taken by 27% of students 1Source: National Association for College Admission Counseling, “The State of College Admissions 2009.”

Top factors in college admissions #2: Strength of Curriculum Both the amount of course work you complete in high school and the quality of those courses Challenging Course Work ✓ An indicator of how well you’ll do in college ✓ Colleges usually require the most years of study in English, academic electives, and math. ✓ More selective colleges look for more credits in history, foreign language, math, and science.

Top factors in college admissions Test Scores A factor you can improve on now—and there are tons of resources available to help you succeed! SAT or ACT ✓ Almost all colleges accept either test. ✓ The SAT requires you to write an essay, whereas the ACT includes a science test. ✓ Taking a practice test of both exams will help you decide which test is right for you.

The college application essay 80% of colleges use the essay to make their final admissions decisions. https://www.story2.com/essaysuccess

Where will your scores take you? 75th* Percentile ACT Composite Score SAT Score CR+M+W *New SAT TBD* Schools 32–36 2080–2400 27–31 1800–2070 22–26 1510–1790 17–21 1210–1610 Princeton University Drew University Rutgers University Montclair State University *25 percent of students scored above.

Prep Smarter, Not Harder

College prep timeline

Thank you! Questions? Contact Jaime.Capra@kaplan.com or call 1-800-kaptest For more information, visit kaptest.com/satchange