sat & act essentials - north allegheny

SAT & ACT Essentials Amy Bonner, Program Manager

Test Changes

3

2

1 Why Admissions Matter

Your Next Steps

Welcome!

The Essentials – Differences

Among the Exams

Why Admissions Tests Matter

Some employers today are even asking to see

applicant’s old SAT scores**

Nearly 90% of colleges placed considerable or

moderate importance on test scores*

Merit scholarships are awarded based on test scores

and grades

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

Northwestern U Penn Stanford UCLA Duke BostonUniversity

Acceptance Rate 2013

Acceptance Rate 2014

Why Admissions Tests Matter

New SAT Sample Problem

The Essentials

The Essentials: Fact vs. Myth

The SAT is more widely accepted than the ACT

The ACT is easier than the SAT

You should only take the ACT if you are good at science

The SAT is changing in March 2016

The Class of 2017 will have the option to take the Current

and New versions of the SAT

The New SAT is easier than the Current SAT

Myth!

Myth!

Fact

Myth!

Myth!

Fact

Test Changes

Test Change Timeline

Sept2015 Oct2015 Dec2015 Jan2016 Mar2016

ACT:

Enhanced

Scoring +

Writing

Test

PSAT:

New Test

Launches

SAT:

New Test

Launches

SAT:

Last

Current

Test

SAT:

2nd to

Last

Current

Test

SAT Test Changes

The Essentials: Test Options

Class of

2017

Class of

2018 &

Younger

Current SAT

ACT

New SAT

Class of

2016 &

Older

The Essentials: Anatomy

10 short sections: 1 Essay, 2 Writing, 3

Critical Reading, 3 Math, 1 Experimental

Essay mandatory

• 4 long sections: English, Math, Reading,

Science

• Essay optional

• 4 long sections: Evidence-Based Reading,

Writing & Language, Math No Calculator,

Math Calculator

• Essay optional

Current

SAT

ACT

New

SAT

The Essentials: Scoring

Total Score: 2400

¼ point guessing penalty

Total Score: 36

Optional Essay scored separately

No wrong answer penalty

Total Score: 1600

Optional Essay scored separately

No wrong answer penalty

Current

SAT

ACT

New

SAT

The Essentials: Timing

3 hours and 45 minutes

2 hours 55 minutes without essay

3 hours 25 minutes with essay

3 hours without essay

3 hours 50 minutes with essay

Current

SAT

ACT

New

SAT


A Closer Look at the New SAT

Test Changes

New SAT Overview

Category Features

Reading and Writing combined

Reading details: No sentence completions

Passage topics include US and World

Literature, History/Social Studies, and

Sciences (500 - 750 words)

65 minutes

Writing and Language details: Focus on extended prose (400 - 500 words)

35 minutes

Evidence-based

Reading &

Writing Section

Test Changes

New SAT Overview

Category Features

Math

Section

Three areas of concentrated focus: Problem solving and data analysis

“The Heart of Algebra”

“Passport to Advanced Math”

Math fluency emphasized 25 minutes without a Calculator

55 minutes with a Calculator

Multi-part questions

Test Changes

New SAT Overview

Category Features

Essay

Essay is optional

50 minutes

Requires students to analyze a 650-750 word

document and explain how the author builds an

argument

3 Scores (2-8)

Reading

Analysis

Writing

Test Changes

Kaplan PSAT Student Survey Results

Test Changes

Test Paths – Class of 2017

Student Profile Test Path

Early Decision

APs and Subject Tests SAT or ACT

Regular Decision

ACT not an option

New SAT

Great Test Taker New SAT, ACT, &

Current SAT

Anxious test taker

Obvious strengths with one test Pick One


Sample Questions

ACT Sample Problem

An architect is making a scale model of a house. His

model is 18 centimeters high and 10 centimeters wide. If

the height of the actual house is 12 meters, what is the

width of the actual house, in meters?

A. 2

B. 3 5

6

C. 6 2

3

D. 10

E. 12 5

9

ACT Sample Problem Solution

Strategic Advice: When you create a proportion,

make sure that measurements given in the same

units are in corresponding parts of the proportion.

Getting to the Answer: Since the architect is

making a scale model of the house, the ratio of

the actual height to the model height of the house

is the same as the ratio of the actual width to the

model width of the house. If the actual width of

the house is w meters, then:

ℎ

𝑤 =

18𝑐𝑚

10𝑐𝑚 =

12𝑚

𝑥

18𝑥 = 120

𝑥 = 6.6667

An architect is making a scale

model of a house. His model is

18 centimeters high and 10

centimeters wide. If the height

of the actual house is 12

meters, what is the width of

the actual house, in meters?

A. 2

B. 3 5

6

C. 6 2

3

D. 10

E. 12 5

9

Current SAT Sample Problem

Which of the angles a°, b°, c°, d°, and e°,

shown in the figure above, is the

greatest?

(A) a°

(B) b°

(C) c°

(D) d°

(E) e°

d°

e°

b° 110°

c°

a°

50°

Note: Figure not drawn to scale

Current SAT Sample Problem Solution Which of the angles a°, b°, c°,

d°, and e°, shown in the figure

above, is the greatest?

(A) a°

(B) b°

(C) c°

(D) d°

(E) e°

d° e°

b° 110°

c°

a°

50°

Note: Figure not drawn to scale

Strategic Advice: Whenever you see intersecting

lines, look for vertical and supplementary angles.

Getting to the Answer: Find the measure of each

angle marked in the figure.

The angles marked b° and 110° form a straight line, so b + 110 = 180

Angles a, b, and 50 make up a triangle, so a + b + 50 = 180

Angles a and c are vertical, so a = c

Angle d and the 50° angle are vertical, so d = 50

Angle e and the 50° angle form a straight line, so e + 50 = 180

70°

60°

50° 130°

In the United States, the maintenance and construction of airports, transit systems, and

major roads is largely funded through a federal excise tax on gasoline. Based on the

2011 statistics given below, how much did the average household pay per year in

federal gasoline taxes?

• The federal gasoline tax rate was 18.4 cents per gallon. The average motor vehicle

was driven approximately 11,340 miles per year.

• The national average fuel economy for noncommercial vehicles was 21.4 miles per

gallon.

• The average American household owned 1.75 vehicles.

A) $55.73

B) $68.91

C) $97.52

D) $170.63


…how much did the average household

pay per year in federal gasoline taxes?

• The federal gasoline tax rate was

18.4 cents per gallon. The average

motor vehicle was driven

approximately 11,340 miles per year.

• The national average fuel economy

for noncommercial vehicles was

21.4 miles per gallon.

• The average American household

owned 1.75 vehicles.

A) $55.73

B) $68.91

C) $97.52

D) $170.63

New SAT Sample Problem Solution

Strategic Advice: This is a question where

the units can help you find the answer.

Getting to the Answer: Use the number of

vehicles owned to find the total number of miles

driven to find the total number of gallons of gas

used to find the total tax paid. Phew!

1.75 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 ∗11,340 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠

1 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒= 19,845 miles

19,845 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 ∗1 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑠

21.4 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠= 927.336 gallons

927.336 gallons ∗$0.184

1 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑛= $170.63

Test Changes

Reading Skills in New SAT Math

Current SAT Math New SAT Math

The percent increase from 6 to 16 is

equal to the percent increase from 12 to

what number?

A) 16

B) 22

C) 23

D) 32

E) 36

According to the Project on Student Debt prepared by The

Institute for College Access and Success, 7 out of 10 students

graduating in 2012 from a four-year college in the United

States had student loan debt. The average amount borrowed

per student was $29,400, which is up from $18,750 in 2004. If

student debt experiences the same total percent increase over

the next eight years, approximately how much will a college

student graduating in 2020 owe, assuming she takes out

student loans to pay for her education?

A) $40,100

B) $44,300

C) $46,100

D) $48,200

Word Count = 18

Word Count = 87

Words that Really Count = 40


Content Differences

Test Changes

Scie

nce

s

SS

/His

tory

Lite

ratu

re

Scie

nces

Hu

ma

nitie

s

SS

/His

tory

Scie

nce

s

Hu

ma

nitie

s

Current SAT New SAT ACT

Lite

ratu

re

Ca

ree

rs

Hu

ma

nitie

s

SS

/His

tory

Lite

ratu

re

Reading Passage Topics

Test Changes

Reading Skills Tested

Wo

rds in

Co

nte

xt

Re

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mp

reh

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sio

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Wo

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Evid

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SA

T W

ord

s

Wo

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Evid

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-ba

se

d


Test Changes

Math Skills Tested

Da

ta A

na

lysis

/Pro

ble

m S

olv

ing

Alg

ebra

Da

ta A

na

lysis

/Pro

ble

m S

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Ge

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etr

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Nu

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& O

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ratio

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Alg

ebra

Ge

om

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Alg

ebra

Da

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lysis

/Pro

ble

m S

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ing

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om

etr

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Trig

Trig


Test Changes

New SAT and ACT: 5 Key Differences

1. The New SAT has a greater focus on History &

Social Studies passages

2. Both focus on Algebra, but the New SAT

has a greater emphasis on Data Analysis &

Problem Solving

3. The ACT requires more Science reading

4. The New SAT requires more mental math

5. The New SAT has grid-in questions, and an

extended thinking grid-in question

What’s the

Difference?

New

SAT?

ACT?


Next Steps

Your Next Steps

Freshman Year Sophomore Year

Take the PSAT

in October

Take AP and Subject

Tests

Plan Prep for the

PSAT, SAT, or ACT

Establish good study

habits

Extracurricular

activities

Prep for Honors and

AP Classes

PSAT in October for National

Merit

Focus on Academics – this is

a critical year!

Research admissions

requirements for target

schools

Prepare for the SAT and/or

ACT

Take AP and Subject Tests

Junior Year Senior Year

Take the SAT and/or ACT for

the last time

Take AP and Subject Tests

Request letters of

recommendation

Complete and send out

college applications

Fill out FAFSA and research

scholarships

Your Next Steps

Your Next Steps: What can you do now?

Keep up to date:

• kaptest.com/satchange

Practice: Free full-length practice tests

• kaptest.com/hsevents

Free Turbo practice tests

• PSAT kaptest.com/psatturbotest

• Current SAT kaptest.com/turbotest

• New SAT kaptest.com/newsatturbotest

• ACT kaptest.com/actturbotest

North Allegheny Partnership

Offering test prep courses at convenient

locations for North Allegheny families at a

fraction of the price

What you’ll get with a Kaplan prep course: Proven, score-raising strategies

(6) 3-hour sessions taught by expert instructors

(4) full-length, proctored practice tests with score analysis

(2) in person

(2) live online

Unlimited access to hundreds of practice test questions

and hours of online instruction

SAT Classroom Course to Prep

for the March 2016 New SAT exam

Classroom Sessions North Allegheny Intermediate - SAT North Allegheny Senior High - WED

1 SAT Diagnostic &

Course Orientation SAT 12/05/2015 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM WED 12/09/2015 05:30 PM - 09:00 PM

2 Classroom Session 1 SAT 12/12/2015 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM WED 12/16/2015 05:30 PM - 08:30 PM


4 -- Schedule Your Online Practice Test 4 --



7 Practice Test 3 SAT 01/30/2016 09:00 AM - 12:15 PM WED 02/03/2016 05:30 PM - 08:45 PM


9 -- Schedule Your Online Practice Test 4 --


= $350.00 for 10-session course

FREE Self-Paced Prep

for SAT & ACT

Online course featuring:

• Expert Kaplan instruction --video tutorials on

score-raising strategies for every tested topic

delivered by expert, Kaplan-certified teachers

• Full-length practice tests – 4 full-length practice

tests for the SAT

• 1,000+ online practice questions - Unlimited

access to practice questions and 50+ hours of

online lessons accessible via all mobile devices:

smartphones, tablets, and laptops

• Online student and parent reports – progress,

performance and homework tracking

kaplanatschool.com/northallegheny

1-800-KAP-TEST


Additional Benefits:

10% off tutoring packages for North Allegheny families

• The most personalized prep: individual instruction and a custom

study plan based on your needs

• Unmatched expertise: our expert tutors have second-to-none

credentials

• The ultimate in convenience: you set the schedule

• Higher score guaranteed

Premier Tutoring – In Person & Live Online

kaplanatschool.com/northallegheny

1-800-KAP-TEST


Additional Benefits:

http://www.kaptest.com/hsg

http://www.kaptest.com/hsg

Questions?

Thank You!

Amy Bonner

Program Manager

[email protected]

724.260.6950

sat & act essentials - north allegheny

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