America SATisfaction begins with the new SAT

The current SAT is execrable. No idea what “execrable” means? You’re not alone because a vast majority of the population is similarly clueless. You’ll probably never see the word again unless you teach English at Harvard. 

That’s why College Board’s decision to revise the SAT for 2016 is a positive one. Among other changes, the new SAT will  test more common vocabulary, make the writing section optional and be more accessible for low-income students. They hope to increase the popularity of the SAT compared to the ACT.

For starters, reducing the number of archaic vocabulary makes the SAT more practical. Few of us ridiculous words like “quixotic” in everyday life, and most jobs will not require such knowledge. 

In fact, the current incarnation of the “critical reading” section only tests students’ ability to regurgitate random words they’ve memorized. To make it worse, the questions are designed to test a student’s knowledge of a word’s definition, not his or her ability to actually use it. 

“The SAT’s rarified vocabulary changes will be replaced by words more common in college courses,” College Board president David Coleman said in a New York Times article. “No longer will students use flashcards to memorize obscure words, only to forget them the minute they put their pencil down.”

In contrast, the new SAT will focus on words such as “empirical” and “synthesis” that are commonly used in college courses. This way, the test is no longer just used for admissions; it actually helps prepare students for a college education. 

Some might argue that complex vocabulary is a marker of how well read one is and thus this is a detrimental change. But there’s a difference between complicated and useless vocabulary. 

The fact is, it doesn’t make one’s writing any stronger to use words one’s audience doesn’t know. Some of the most well known articles or speeches, like Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” use straightforward words so that all audience members can understand the message. True writing skill involves effective and eloquent use of simple words, not the abuse of complicated, awkward words. 

In addition, the writing section, including the grammar, is now optional, so the timed essay will no longer be mandatory. 

In fact, some colleges, such as Washington University in St. Louis, already do not count the writing section of the SAT, instead simply scoring the test out of 1600. Why? Because college essays are a much better way of evaluating an applicant’s writing abilities than the SAT essay.

Think about it. When writing a college essay, students have much more time to prepare and can choose a topic they are truly passionate about, allowing them to display their unique personality and creativity. In comparison, the SAT essay involves writing an essay as fast as possible, and the scoring emphasises quantity over quality.

The new SAT essay, however, will have a time limit of 50 minutes, which is twice as long as it used to be. In addition, the prompt will be published ahead of time and remain consistent; only the source material students are expected to base their essay upon will change. 

In addition, the new SAT seeks to level the playing field for students across the country by partnering with Khan Academy to provide free SAT practice for everyone. 

For instance, here in the Silicon Valley, you can drive around a town and find multiple SAT practice centers, but in many places, such centers are hard to find and often expensive. College Board and Khan Academy’s work will help reduce the disparity between poorer and wealthier students, and allow standardized tests to reflect a student’s intelligence, rather than his or her ability to pay for hours of SAT camp. 

With a retooled SAT, a new generation of students will no longer dread this execrable test.