The SAT has changed drastically since last March, when a new version of the test was introduced. This new test differs from the previous SAT in a multitude of ways.  More students took the ACT in 2015 than the SAT, so the new version of the SAT was created so that it would be similar to the ACT.

The new SAT scores were at first lower than expected, but as students and administrators learned more about the test, the scores improved. The new average score for the SAT is 1000, which means about half of the students who take it get below 1000 and half the students who take it get above 1000.

The scores of the old and new SATs are hard to compare. With the new SAT, higher scores are less impressive. For example, a 770 on the new SAT math section is the equivalent of a 750 on the old SAT.

The scoring of the SAT as a whole has changed from a 2400 scale to a 1600 scale because the optional essay is now not included in the overall score.The grading for the reading and writing section and the math section are still on a scale of 200 to 800.

The essay portion of the test has changed the most since March. The essay is now optional and is scored separately from the other sections of the test. It is now given at the end of the SAT rather than at the beginning. Students now have fifty minutes to write their essay rather than the previous twenty five minutes. Despite the fact that it is now optional, many colleges and teachers recommend that students write the SAT essay.

“Yes, absolutely, it’s practice, and any kind of essay practice [for college] is beneficial,” English teacher Martha Stein said.

Overall, the new SAT has changed to be more like the ACT, but it still presents  a challenge for students preparing for the new test.