new sat vs. old sat format

as you probably know, as of march 2016, the sat is in a new format. the new sat is substantially different from the old version of the exam. the test design has been simplified—there are now five sections instead of ten. while both versions of the exam have an essay section, the essay is now optional. every component of the sat, including the essay, has a new format and a shift in the skills it focuses on.

in this post, we’ll show changes to the overall exam and individual aspects of the exam in a series of charts.

test format: new sat vs. old sat

 

test component	old sat	new sat
total test time	3 hours, 45 minutes	3 hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the optional essay section
sections	10 sections: one essay section, three reading sections, three math sections (calculator permitted), two writing/language sections, one unscored experimental section	5 sections: critical reading, writing and language, math with calculator, math without calculator, and an optional essay section
section order	essay first, all other sections in random order	fixed section order: reading first, writing/language second, math without a calculator third, math with a calculator fourth, optional essay at the end
scoring	a 600-2400 point holistic scale	a holistic 400-1600 point scale  for the mandatory four-section test; a three-component scale ranging from 2/2/2 to 8/8/8 for the optional essay
score reporting	one holistic score is given for the entire exam	one holistic score is given for the entire exam, a separate score is given for the optional essay, and subscores are reported with a 200-800 score range for the four mandatory sections, and a 2/2/2 to 8/8/8 score range for the optional essay

 

math: new sat vs. old sat

section components	old sat math	new sat math
total time	70 minutes	80 minutes
sections	3 (calculator use permitted)	2 (one with calculator use permitted, one with no calculator)
grading scale	200-800 points	200-800 points
questions	54 questions total 44 multiple-choice 10 fill-in-grid one 16-question section one 18-question section one 20-question section	58 questions total 20 no-calculator questions 38 calculator questions 45 multiple-choice questions 13 grid-in questions
skills covered	numbers and operations, 11-13 questions algebra and functions, 19-21 questions geometry and measurement, 14-16 questions   data analysis and statistics, 6-7 questions	heart of algebra, 19 questions (linear equations, systems of linear equations, and inequalities)   problem solving and data analysis, 17 questions (ratios, proportions, percentages, units, quantitative data, probabilities)   passport to advanced math, 16 questions (equivalent algebraic expressions, quadratic equations, exponential functions, other nonlinear equations and functions)   additional topics in math, 6 questions (basic trigonometry, geometry)

 

reading: old sat vs new sat

section components	old sat reading	new sat reading
total time	70 minutes	65 minutes
sections	3	1
grading scale	200-800	200-800
questions	67 questions total, all multiple-choice two sections with 24 questions one section with 35 questions	52 questions total, all multiple-choice
skills covered	sentence completion based on the overall meaning of the sentence, 19 questions   passage reading comprehension, 48 questions	passage reading comprehension

 

 

writing: old sat vs new sat

section components	old sat writing	new sat writing
total time	50 minutes	35 minutes
sections	2	1
grading scale	200-800	200-800
questions	49 questions total, all multiple-choice one section with 35 questions one section with 14 questions	44 questions total, all multiple-choice
skills covered	correcting errors in sentences, 18 questions   improving the writing style of sentences, 25 questions   improving the writing style of paragraphs, 6 questions	improving the writing style of passages, 24 questions   correcting errors in passages, 20 questions

 

essay format: new vs old sat

at an overview, you can see that the new version of the exam is certainly simpler and more “user-friendly.”still, this does not necessarily mean that the new sat is easier in every respect. some basic trigonometry has been added to the math section and geometry is now being downplayed in favor of other math skills that often require more complex calculations (advanced algebra, probability, etc.). reading and writing have eliminated shorter readings in favor of questions based exclusively on longer passages. although the new sat essay is optional it’s also much more challenging, requiring test-takers to carefully analyze a written piece rather than independently expressing their own opinions on social issues.all in all, the new sat is easier in some ways and harder in others. it’s easier because it has fewer sections and more straightforward organization. most students will also find certain portions of the new sat a bit harder academically, but these changes can be a blessing in disguise. the new sat is designed to help college applicants fully prepare for current expectations from universities as higher education itself continues to grow and change.

section components	old sat essay	new sat essay
total time	25 minutes	50 minutes
essay format	personal opinion	textual analysis
grading scale	2 to 12 points	a score range of 2/2/2 to 8/8/8
skills covered	expressing and supporting personal opinions general academic writing skill	reading comprehension rhetorical critique general academic writing skill
optional	no	yes