Students can prepare for the new version of the SAT in advance. The SAT Math Exam will change to cover three years of high school and better align SAT material with school curricula and the skills necessary to succeed in college. Besides the traditional Algebra I and geometry questions, the section will also include items from Algebra II and other higher-level math courses. Quantitative comparisons will be removed. These changes make the SAT more relevant to college-bound high school students. By incorporating Algebra II material, the exam also encourages students to complete more advanced math before their junior year.

Which graduating class will the new test affect?

The high school graduating class of 2006 will be the first class to take the new test in March 2005. Anyone who is graduating from high school in 2005 should take the Current SAT. All University of California schools and most other colleges will request scores from the NEW SAT, although some private schools may still accept scores on the current SAT.

Will the SAT Math Exam's scoring range change?

No. The SAT Math Exam's scoring range of 800 points will stay the same. But, the overall SAT scoring range will change from 1600 points to 2400 points to accommodate the new Writing Section. Each section will be worth a possible 800 points.

Will the new test length change?

Yes. The SAT Math Exam will lose 5 minutes, decreasing from 75 to 70 minutes. There will be two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section. The 5 minutes which will be reduced from the section will be added to the new Writing Section, along with the time which is reduced from the Verbal and Variable Sections. Overall SAT length will increase from 3 hours to 3 hours 45 minutes.

Quantitative Comparisons

No more determining the relationship between the values in Column A and Column B, such as 'r+1' and 's-1' when r and s are integers. This may actually help give you more time to solve other problems!

Other areas of study

Other areas of math we will cover in our course include Sets, Absolute Value, Radical Equations, Exponents, and Functions.

Class Schedule

The best time for students to take the MathThinkTM course is sometime between the summer after their sophomore year and the fall of their senior year. As long as the student has completed Geometry, we recommend taking the class sooner rather than later to allow more time to practice. The next MathThink class is starting soon, so check out www.MathThink.com for specific times and locations of classes in your area.