NOBODY should be delaying an SAT based on this rumor. That’s because “easier” does not mean BETTER. An easier-for-all SAT means Revised SAT scores will be artificially higher. But colleges will be wise to that. If 1400 is easier to attain on the Revised SAT, then colleges will need 1500 to be impressed.

When the SAT was “recentered” in March 1994, high recentered scores were not as impressive as prior scores that were 100 points lower. (Recentering added 110 – 120 points to mid-range scorers.) Colleges could tell the difference, and they certainly will know the difference if the scaling is skewed next year.

For certain types of students, waiting for the Revised SAT is dangerous. If it indeed becomes easier to get a high score, it will be harder to stand out. That hurts the student whose grades are not top-notch. Colleges will have a harder time putting weight on the Revised scores and thus put more weight on GPA. This helps the valedictorians; it does not help the student with a good-but-not-great GPA.

The student who is using the SAT to enhance her or his credentials is thus wise to take the current SAT. It gives a chance to post a great score on a known standard that colleges like. After January’s SAT, if that score is still not good enough, the student can always take the ACT or SAT in the spring.

There is an element of “easier” that is certainly NOT true: the Revised SAT will be HARDER to prep for. That owes to a broader range of math, and the SAT incorporating science in reading. That it is new and students have fewer tried-and-true practice tests to use also means good preparation for the Revised SAT will be harder. Ivy Bound’s students typically enlist a tutor for 25 – 30 hours to prep for the SAT Math and Reading sections; on the Revised SAT, we will probably suggest 35 – 40 hours with a tutor.

A varsity sport that prevents fall study, or engagements on fall Saturdays that preclude sitting for the SAT are good reasons to put off the current SAT. Rumors of “easier” are not.

RUMOR: “The Revised SAT Will Be Easier”

Our Secret to SAT Success Revealed!

Do You Need Algebra 2 Before SAT Prep?