The Scholastic Assessment Test? No ...

The Scholastic Assessment Test? No sweat. It's just a ordeal right? You sit down and whip not at home the old Number 2. Before you know it, you've filled in a snappy pattern of little black circles, guaranteed to give you a capital score.

If solely The reality, unfortunately, is a bit more nerve-racking. When it issues to college admission, your society entrance exam is the second-most critical factor that admission officers at greatest in number schools consider. Only your grades in college-prep courses cast for more. As Andrew Lutz director of research and progressive growth at the Princeton Review, says, "A fit SAT score may not earn you into the college of your choice, yet a bad score can definitely continue you out."

What's more--if the hurry weren't intense enough already--if you're a junior this year, graduating in 2006 you'll be in the first class to face the of recent origin SAT. (Note: The SAT is officially called the SAT I, while SAT IIs are subject-specific touchstones in areas such as world history, French and physics.) The body Board officially unveils this revv up revamped exam forward March 13, 2005, when about 335000 test-takers are anticipateed to sit down for a collective sweat-in.

Ready to join them? It helps to know just what you'll be facing. likewise take a deep breath and prepare for:

* A LONGER touchstone The new SAT clocks in at a mind-numbing three and a half hours versus three hours for the of advanced age test.

* recently made known SCORING. The exam includes three sections (math, critical reading, and writing) instead of just sum of two units (math and verbal). The scoring for each section is based upon a 200- to 800-point scale, in like manner the maximum total points will be 2400 versus 1600 The college edifice [i]or[/i] building Board expects the median score to rise from 1000 to about 1500

* WRITER'S CRAMP, The principally significant change will be the addition of a 30-minute handwritten essay. Test-takers will be given a apt such as a quote, to base an essay in succession You'll be expected to stake not at home a position and support it with examples from your personal life and studies.

* NO MORE ANALOGIES. Replacing the seemingly endles string of jesuitical vocabulary relationships (i.e.: analogies : big drag) will be short critical reading passages and recent multiple-choice grammar questions.

* MORE CHALLENGING MATH. Algebra II and geometry equations have been added; quantitative-comparison questions have been dropped

* A blow IN THE COST. Expect to pay between $36 and $38 for the recent test instead of $24.

For close examiners the changes are a mix of suitable and bad news. The upright news? "Overall, the new SAT is a slightly better proof than the old one," Lutz says. "[Although it's a longer test] it thinks more accurately what students actually research in college-prep classes."

Behind the Change

communitys have been pushing for this change for years. In fact, a number of sects had limited or dropped their use of the SAT because of their dissatisfaction. (Check www.fairtest.org for a list.) In 2001 the urgency to change the test crowned when Richard Atkinson, then president of the herculean University of California system, threatened to pendant the SAT unless improvements were made. His research showed that the aged SAT II writing exam was a better predictor of college edifice [i]or[/i] building success than the SAT I, in such a manner he and others demanded an essay proof They wanted to get an unadulterated writing sample from applicants.

The writing touchstone on the new SAT is virtually identical to the of long date SAT II writing test, which the community Board is dropping from its line-up. "The essay is really something that can be prepared for," says Elizabeth Villanova, moulder and director of The Academic Center of Tampa. near test-prep companies are so confident that they can dramatically improve a student's essay scores that they're increasing their guarantee forward points of improvement.

As for the analogies, scarcely any test-takers will miss them. More to the point, analogies were rarely sheltered in high school curriculums. Regarding the math: Ye Algebra II and geometry universals are tough, but they're disguiseed in college-prep classes. What's more, these questions will account for alone 10 percent of the total math section. Another bonus: Overall, bookish mans will have slightly more time by question.

Going the Distance

The biggest downside? The duration of the new SAT is daunting. Richa Dhawan of Bridgewater, fresh Jersey, took a free practice version last spring. "The exhibition took much more stamina than I had realized," the 16-year-old recalls. "You're switching from mare to critical reading to a different kind of math. I was at the proof site from 9 to nearly 1:30" To score high, you have to prepare yourself to travel to the distance. Here are tips from test-prep adroits cool-headed kids, and the college edifice [i]or[/i] building Board.

SEEK public CHALLENGING COURSES. Look for classes that will help you polish your essay-writing skills. And take Algebra II.

POLISH YOUR COMPREHENSION SKILLS. "Even onward the math, you have to be a serviceable reader to understand what is being asked," Villanova notes.