How the new SAT will Change Test Prep

Students aren’t the only ones who will be feeling the reverberations of the SAT changes that have been announced for Spring, 2016 (upcoming changes to the test are detailed here). The education community will have to focus on helping students succeed at the new test. As a small tutoring company with one foot in the test prep industry, we can make some educated predictions of how test prep and the test prep industry will change. Here are some of our predictions of what might happen:

Prediction 1:

If the College Board gets their way, test prep classes that focus exclusively on tricks will go by the wayside. But we predict large group SAT prep classes will stay around…they’ll just be a bit less effective (we were never a fan of large group, technique only classes anyway).

Prediction 2:

Not long after the release of new SAT sample questions, the test prep industry will come up with a new (or slightly modified) set of tricks. Why will this happen when this is exactly what the College Board is trying to prevent? All standardize tests by their very nature of being standardized are in a large part formulaic and predictable. With so many who have a vested interest in figuring out how to use tricks to beat the test, the test will quickly reveal its patterns (we’ll keep you posted on what we find). While it may not qualify as a trick, one pattern, which we already know about, is the announced use of an important historic document. Tutor Delphia will soon come up with lists of documents likely to be on the test and will prepare students on reading and analyzing these particular documents.

Prediction 3:

One-on-one tutoring that focuses on academic skills and common core standards will become even more effective. Our favorite type of SAT tutoring, that which helps students increase their math, reading and writing skill level across the board, will become even more effective due to the SAT’s attempt to return to relevancy in its content. While as always, Tutor Delphia will teach our students all the tricks to “beat the test,” we will be happy to be able to focus more on each student’s individual needs in regards to their math, reading and writing skills

Prediction 4:

Lower income students will not be helped by the changes. Students who do poorly on state achievement tests (frequently those in who face poverty) will do poorly on the new SAT. The SAT is not trying to be an IQ test or a measure of untaught potential and is now focusing even more on what was taught in schools (which vary greatly in quality) by way of common core standards. While the SAT’s is planning on partnering with Khan Academy, it is not enough. The partnership will open a very basic level of test prep to all  but will not compare to private tutoring and will not help students who only have reliable internet access in thirty minute  library sessions. As always, Tutor Delphia is committed to opening private tutoring to more families by offering reasonable and sliding scale rates.

Prediction 5:

Students who receive special education will be hurt by the SAT’s decision to limit (although not eliminate) calculator use on the test. We will be paying close attention to whether the SAT will honor IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) that call for calculator use on all tests but we are not optimistic in this regard. Hopefully, other changes may help students with disabilities but we will not be able to predict that until after sample questions are posted.