In March, the old SAT will be retired for a new and improved test. The changes to the SAT were designed to not only be more helpful to students but also to give a better understanding on a student’s knowledge.

“[CollegeBoard] has realized that they need to update the test and so they are now changing the test so hopefully it can be a better judge of what the student knows now as far as being prepared for college,” said College and Career Center Coordinator Kristy Dozier.

New changes to the test include making the essay optional and questions omitted no longer count against the overall score. The scoring is different as well, counting out of 1600 possible points instead of 2400. Additionally, the reading and writing portions of the test have been combined into one section: evidence-based reading and writing.

In the math section of the SAT, the focus is now on things such as problem solving and data analysis. It should be more important to students taking the test instead of just random problems CollegeBoard thought would be tough according to Dozier.

Real world problems are now going to be accompanied with graphs. Another change is that a calculator is no longer permitted throughout the entire section. Students will only be able to use a calculator on 37 of the questions while the last 20 must be done without one. CollegeBoard states that a calculator is now not actually needed for the test and every problem is now doable without one.

In the new evidence-based reading and writing section, words are now focused and relevant, not just random vocab pulled out of the dictionary or thesaurus. Not only that, but sentence completion problems have been opted out completely and the passages given will be relevant to the U.S as well as world literature, history and the sciences.

“I think the new SAT will help show a student’s potential better. It’s more catered to our generation and what we’re capable of accomplishing,” senior Delaney Shaver said.

Overall, the new SAT is expected to be an overall improvement in every aspect of the test and should allow students a better chance at success through a test that should reflect their knowledge and skills more accurately.