the NEW SAT

[MasterOfMagic]

Bah. They're adding a writing thing to the ACT too... and I'll have to take it. I've taken the normal one before...forgot to study...and got a 27. One away from a 28, and if I had gotten that, I wouldn't have had to take it agian (via deal with my parents). Of course, now I know I would've had to have taken it agian anyway.... so I'm not quite as upset.

For one, writing skills are in high demand. College professors and employers are looking for anyone that can actually string together a coherent sentence. After all, in the real world, you can't' make a living by answering multiple choice tests. So, it's mean for them to force you to develop skills you'll only not need if your job involves the phrase, "Do you want fries with that?"

Ah, yess, because everyone who takes it is worried about developing skills. :P No, we just want to get it over with, and so you can see why adding something that will make it even more boring and take even longer is going to make us go into hissy fits. Yess, I see why they did it, but I don't really care.

[My Lead Airbag]

Meh, the writing section doesn't make Us that uneasy. Our English teacher this year has been raping us with stupid essay assignments. We could write a ten-page thesis on why dogs should be allowed to control the remote if its needed. Remember folks, BS is your friend, and large sentences show that you have some command over the language as long as they're understandable.

Also, a somewhat cautionaryword from Mr. Terry Pratctett

"Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleaning, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact."

[Mongoose]

Incidentely, I'm taking the SATs tomorrow. I forget if it's the last test with the last SATs or the first of the new, but I'm not concerned either way. I can BS efficiently if needed.

[RagnarofBurland]

I personally like the idea of adding an essay section, it makes the test slightly less like your typical standardized test*. It does better in accessing an individual's own skills, as opposed to those silly analogies.

The addition of Algebra II is in my opinion a double edged sword. I think it's a good idea that they want to test out all the math skill we are supposed to learn in high school, but at least in my school, Algebra II is a Junior year course. This obviously doesn't bode well for those still taking Algebra II at the time they would be taking the test or those who's strength is not in math.**

I do agree with the fact that the reading comprehension section could use some improvement. Having to pick 'the best answer' or the one they agree with always has struck me as odd. I generally do quite well on these sections but the ones I do get incorrect seem so far out there, or alternately so synonomous with my answer I don't see why both answers where avaliable.

*I'll bet you thought I was going to say standard standardized tests, now didn't you?

**I might be just a little biased, as per the fact struggle in mathematics just to get a C in most classes. Though, I go to a private school so on a standard public school scale I think it's a C+/B-.

[My Lead Airbag]

So, the aftermath.

What essay question did ya'll get? We got something along the lines of "Is something run by the vote of majority fair or not?", which is freaky because We've spent all year reading The Fountainhead in class (ya know, individualism ahoy) and We decided to read Wikiquote's section on Terry Pratchett and got to use a quote of Pterry (namely, "The intelligence of a crowd is the square root of the number or members").

All-in-all, not too bad We think. Not as bad as all the bellyaching alluded too.

Your thoughts?

[P-Sleazy]

OMG...i got the EXACT same essay question...and wrote about a cow...yea we know where i landed on the scale of 1-6 dont we.... anyways...when you get your scores how about we all just post em here alright?

[Death by Stabbing]

I got a question about if people are responcible for their behavior or if society is or something like that

[P-Sleazy]

yea thats anotherthing i wanted to adress but forgot too. if you remember any questions that really bothered you on the sat then ask em here. pretty sure someone else here got the answer to that question.

by the way Death By Stabbing...the essays arent really about content their more about form and stuff. like they want to see that you know how to write an essay and form it and keep on topic. so you could have bs your whole way through it as long as you stayed on topic and pretty much did the essay format correctly. thats why i wrote about a cow...and congress...and supreme court...all in one essay... :fighter:

[RangerAidan]

I hope your luck was good. I took the original SAT for the last time in December, along with my first ACT. Got 1570 and 32, respectively, so I was quite happy. Now, this new crap? I'm just glad I don't have to take it, because I'd get handily schooled by the writing portion. Handily.

[Elan Morin Tedronai]

Essay portions of tests generally screw me over, I need to think about what I'm writing for a decent amount of time before writing it. So glad I'm already done with all those.

What about the scores of those who have already taken it? I wonder if they'd be given the same worth as a score on this new test.