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

3. 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 June Sept 2015 Oct Dec Jan 2016 Mar 2016

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Test & Cross-Test Scores
Scoring Details
Composite Score
Sum of the two Area Scores
Range of
Area Score
Math
Range of
Area Score
Evidence-Based Reading + Writing
Range of
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
Test & Cross-Test Scores
3 Test Scores: Math, Reading, and Writing & Language
2 Cross-Test Scores: Science, History/Social Studies
Range of

8. 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
word passages
65 minutes
word passages
35 minutes

9. 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

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

11. 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
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 composite score range, like on the new SAT, the score range for the new PSAT is

12. PSAT & New SAT Scoring SAT: 400-1600 PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520
Composite Score Range

13. New PSAT Score Report

14. New PSAT Score Report

15. 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

16. 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?

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Top Factors in College Admissions

21. 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.”

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. The college application essay
80% of colleges use the essay to make their final admissions decisions.

25. 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.

26. Prep Smarter,
Not Harder

27. College prep timeline

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