In just eighteen days, the current SAT will be given for the final time. Say goodbye to obscure vocabulary, tricky math strategies, and the 2400 scale that many old-schoolers (like myself) never really liked in the first place. The new SAT (rSAT) is upon us!
PSAT scores from October will be available to students starting Thursday, January 7th. Students should log into their College Board (CB) accounts to access scores. With the scores, students will be given login information to their accounts on Khan Academy – this is a new feature this year. In their Khan accounts, students will be able to see information about the types of questions they got right and wrong and will be given access to targeted practice problems, as well. This platform is a great, new, and free resource provided by CB.
Unfortunately, CB released some not so great news about the rSAT, too. In the spring, CB released a study guide for the rSAT with four practice tests, and they also promised that four or five additional tests would be released through Khan starting in the fall. However, CB recently announced that none of those additional practice tests would be released, leaving only the four tests in the book as official practice material.
Four tests is a very limited number with which to run an SAT preparation program. As such, Sexton Test Prep will be promoting shorter tutoring programs for the rSAT, more in the range of six to eight sessions as opposed to our standard twelve. While many companies will attempt to write their own prep guides, official CB material remains the gold standard for preparation, especially on a test that is, at this point, still something of an unknown.
Despite the limited amount of practice material, the rSAT has some definite strengths that may make it a better fit for certain students. Students who struggle with time pressure, are stronger in algebra than geometry, or have taken (and done well at) statistics are a few concrete examples.
Please contact us with any questions you have about the rSAT and whether it is a good fit for your student. If your student’s PSAT scores turn out well, the rSAT may well be worth a try.
-Ben