1. SAT An Overview and Discussion Scholastic Aptitude Test Scholastic Assessment Test

2. Background While high school grades are a very useful indicator of how students will perform in college, there is great variation in grading standards and course rigor within and across high schools. More than 80 years ago the College Board created the first standardized college entrance test to help colleges and universities identify students who could succeed at their institutions and to connect students with educational opportunities beyond high school. Source: collegeboard.org, Inc. 2

3. What is the SAT? The SAT is the benchmark standardized assessment of the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills students have developed over time and that they need to be successful in college. Each year, more than two million students take the SAT. Nearly every college in America uses the test as a common and objective scale for evaluating a student's college readiness. 3 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

4. The SAT is … The most researched standardized admissions test The standard in reliability and validity An internationally recognized, accurate measure of college readiness and scholarship potential 4 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

5. Why take the SAT? Students and parents often ask why it is important to take the SAT. Reasons include: All colleges accept the SAT as an objective measurement of students' college readiness. Used with GPAs and high school transcripts, SAT scores allow colleges to fairly compare applicants. Taking the SAT gives students access to scholarship opportunities. Most colleges require an admission test like the SAT. The SAT provides students with the most comprehensive performance feedback of any admission test. Many institutions require a writing assessment for admission. Students who take the SAT automatically fulfill such requirements. 5 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

6. The Specifics

7. Basic Preparation Understand the SAT - what it measures and how it is developed. Register for the test and find policies you need to know, including test accommodations, dates, deadlines and fees 7 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

8. The SAT: Decomposed Critical reading Mathematics Writing 8 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

9. Critical Reading The critical reading questions are all multiple choice. They can have one of two formats: – Sentence completion – Passage-based reading with long and short excerpts from works in natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and literary fiction The questions assess students' reading skills, such as: – Identifying main and supporting ideas – Determining the meaning of words in context – Understanding authors' purposes – Understanding the structure and function of sentence 9 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

10. Mathematics The mathematics section has two types of questions: – Multiple-choice questions – Student-produced responses The questions require students to apply mathematical concepts and to use data literacy skills in interpreting tables, charts, and graphs. They cover skills in four major areas: – Numbers and operations – Algebra and functions – Geometry and measurement – Data analysis, statistics, and probability 10 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

11. Writing The writing section consists of two types of questions: – An essay – Multiple-choice questions The multiple-choice questions ask students to: – Recognize sentence errors – Choose the best version of a piece of writing – Improve paragraphs 11 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

12. Taking the Test

13. The SAT: Section by section The SAT is three hours and 45 minutes long. It is broken into 10 sections: – Three writing – Three critical reading – Three mathematics – One variable (unscored) The first section is always the essay, and the last section is a writing section. In between, the academic content areas can come in any order. 13 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

14. ContentMinutesTotal Time Writing (essay)2560 minutes Writing (multiple-choice)25 Writing (multiple-choice)10 Critical reading (multiple-choice)2570 minutes Critical reading (multiple-choice)25 Critical reading (multiple-choice)20 Mathematics (multiple-choice and student-produced response) 2570 minutes Mathematics (multiple-choice)25 Mathematics (multiple-choice)20 Variable (unscored, multiple- choice) 2525 minutes The Timeline 14 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

15. How difficult is the SAT? The SAT is developed to reflect accepted educational standards. The data shows that the material on the SAT and the time allocated to each section are appropriate for the intended test-taking population: On average, students answer 50 to 60 percent of questions correctly. 80 percent finish nearly the entire test. Almost all students complete at least 75 percent of the questions. 15 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

16. More Useful Facts about the SAT The unscored section – One of the 25-minute sections is unscored. This "variable" or "equating" section may have critical reading, mathematics, or multiple-choice writing questions. It does not count toward the final score but is used to try out new questions and to ensure that scores on new editions of the SAT are comparable to scores on earlier editions. Test book variations – Test-takers sitting next to each other in the same testing session may have test books with an entirely different sequence of the 25-minute and 20-minute sections. 16 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

17. Test Day

18. Advance Planning Emphasize the importance of being organized and well rested on test day. Advise students to plan in advance and to: Organize ID, Admission Ticket, pencils, calculators, and other supplies Get a good night's sleep Eat breakfast Double-check for everything they need before leaving home Arrive early—by 7:45 a.m.—at the test center 18 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

19. Plan, Organize and Execute

20. Students must register in advance Necessary to ensure that the correct materials are waiting for them at the test center. With registration, each student receives: – An assigned test center seat – An Admission Ticket—by Web, email, or postal mail – Up to four score reports sent to colleges and scholarship services 20 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

21. SAT Resources The SAT Program offers numerous downloadable resources including registration, dates, and fee waiver information, that will help you assist your students to register for the test. Many of these materials are sent to your school in late summer. 21 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

22. What to bring to the test center Students should group together everything they must bring for the test beforehand. They must bring: – Admission Ticket – Acceptable photo ID (international and age restrictions may apply) – Two No. 2 pencils and a good eraser; no pens or mechanical pencils – Acceptable calculator with fresh batteries; students are not required to clear the memory on their calculators It's also a good idea to bring: – Snacks (to eat during breaks) – A watch (without an audible alarm) – A backpack or bag (to be kept under the seat) – Extra batteries 22 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

23. Test Scores

24. How your scores are calculated 1. A raw score is calculated. – One point is added for each multiple-choice question answered correctly. – For multiple-choice questions answered incorrectly, 1/4 point is subtracted: No points are subtracted for incorrect answers to the mathematics questions requiring student-produced responses. No points are subtracted for omitted questions. – Then, the total points answered wrong are subtracted from the number answered correctly. If the resulting score is a fraction, it is rounded to the nearest whole number—1/2 or more is rounded up; less than 1/2 is rounded down. – Questions in the SAT equating section do not count toward the score. 2. The raw score is converted to the College Board 200- to 800-point scaled score by a statistical process called equating. – Equating adjusts for slight differences in difficulty between test editions, and ensures that a student's score of, say, 450 on one edition of a test reflects the same ability as a score of 450 on another edition of the test. – Equating also ensures that a student's score does not depend on how well others did on the same edition of the test. 24 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

25. When SAT scores will be reported Test DateInternet Score DeliveryPaper/CD-ROM Scores Begin Mailing October 1, 2011October 21, 2011October 28, 2011 November 5, 2011November 23, 2011December 2, 2011 December 3, 2011December 23, 2011December 30, 2011 January 28, 2012February 17, 2012February 24, 2012 March 10, 2012March 30, 2012April 6, 2012 May 5, 2012May 25, 2012June 1, 2012 June 2, 2012June 22, 2012June 29, 2012 Test DateInternet Score DeliveryPaper/CD-ROM Scores Begin Mailing October 1, 2011October 20,2011October 24, 2011 November 5, 2011November 22, 2011November 28, 2011 December 3, 2011December 22, 2011December 27, 2011 January 28, 2012February 16, 2012February 20, 2012 March 10, 2012March 29, 2012April 2, 2012 May 5, 2012May 24, 2012May 29, 2012 June 2, 2012June 21, 2012June 25, 2012 To High SchoolsTo Colleges 25 Source: collegeboard.org, Inc.

26. Helpful Resources http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/sat/getting-ready-for-the-sat.pdf http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day 26