New SAT Grammar Section

[Chuck(G)]

I've just finished reading an article about the new SAT tests to be given in 2005. The big surprise is that a section of the test involves testing one's knowledge of grammar:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/tes ... iting.html

It's about time! It's too bad that a spelling section wasn't included.

[Rick Denney]

I've just finished reading an article about the new SAT tests to be given in 2005. The big surprise is that a section of the test involves testing one's knowledge of grammar:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/tes ... iting.html

It's about time! It's too bad that a spelling section wasn't included.

I wonder if they'll be busted for rmvng ll th vwls, and for not capitalizing the beginnings of their sentences.

Rick "still remembering the incredibly thick essay question in the GRE" Denney

[Chuck(G)]

if youz ta *** me? dis ting, has been long time ovrdoo; i wish i had dis wen i wuz in skool evn tho i is purdy samart azzit iz i gragiated top a my clas to butt it dont hurt none ta git smartr
Doc

U rite r33l 9ud Doc U mus b a 733chur.

[Mark]

It's about time! It's too bad that a spelling section wasn't included.

Didn't I hear recently that they are going to drop analogies? At best a break-even with the essay.

[Leland]

Maybe the change will keep the SAT more relevant.

[Chuck(G)]

Didn't I hear recently that they are going to drop analogies? At best a break-even with the essay.

I still remember those ugly things:

Horace Walpole is to a mackerel as a vacuum cleaner is to.......

a) a canary melon
b) nepotism
c) Luxembourg
d) blue
e) all of the above

[Doug@GT]

Didn't I hear recently that they are going to drop analogies? At best a break-even with the essay.

Yes. Probably less than break even. Most colleges already require an essay. Shoot, you have to write an essay to graduate (at least in Georgia).

The SAT is not a graduation test. It should test your aptitude to learn (hence the A), not what you have learned. That's why it should contain logic games like analogies.


SAT scores really are not the end-all standardized test score that shows how smart you are. Sure, the really competitive schools will have high cut-off simply to reduce the number of applications they have to sort through.

Doug "who is preparing for the LSAT and has no sympathy for those who complain about the SAT"

[Chuck(G)]

[The SAT is not a graduation test. It should test your aptitude to learn (hence the A), not what you have learned. That's why it should contain logic games like analogies.

Shouild, perhaps. In fact, to a fair degree, it drives what's being taught. If a school can't boast students with high SAT scores, it's not viewed as a good school.

In theory, since the SAT tests "aptitude" and not "material learned", it should make no difference where one attends school, right? In fact, what's being measured to a great extent is not one's aptitude, but one's study habits (which are something learned) and the degree to which one has been acclimated to SAT-like tests. Were this not true, prep schools with "SAT-cram" classes wouildn't exist.

The same goes for a lot of occupational aptitude testing. The last one I took strongly indicated that I had the makings of a clergyman. Perhaps I've missed my calling...

[Mark]

And what are the LSAT tests for?

Law school.

[Rick F]

Spelling's not all that important!

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe."

[Chuck(G)]

Spelling's not all that important!

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe."

Rmeind me not to aks yuo for hlep wtih my remusé!

[smurphius]

the one thing to baffle me about standardized testing is how much they don't really the test doesn't really measure. for a musician in example, suppose my child (which I don't have yet), a son or daughter of two musicians, one public music teacher, the other working on becoming a college professor, my child would probably be much more knowledgeable in music history, and reading and making music in general. however, my child may be so dumb otherwise that he cannot do basic algebra or reading comprehension really well. does that mean my child would be stupid? of course not, especially if they could make it as some great composer or performer in the music world. of course, according to ACT's and SAT's, no one else would know that. one test given the entire purpose of analyzing a child's mind is rather ridiculous, even if they have added this essay. my only hope is that this added essay might give a few more kids some sort of chance of avoiding the label "inadequate."

[Rick Denney]

...my child would probably be much more knowledgeable in music history, and reading and making music in general. however, my child may be so dumb otherwise that he cannot do basic algebra or reading comprehension really well...

Remember that the point of the SAT is to provide colleges with a means of assessing students objectively. As was mentioned previously, colleges use the SAT to eliminate clearly substandard (for that institution) candidates so they can focus their selection resources on those that show sufficient potential.

Thus, the SAT is focused not only skills one needs to be successful in life, but rather skills one needs to be successful in college. It is a predictor of college performance. An IQ test would not be as useful, because college courses don't depend solely on intelligence; they also require the ability to test well.

And colleges that are selecting candidates for programs that do not need the math and English skills to the extent that they need other skills use other measures, whether tests (such as the ACT), auditions, portfolios, performance in high school, or whatever.

The problem with the SAT is that because it is one of the few objective measures available, those who seek to prove a point will use that data to do so. Schools use it to brag about performance, administrators use it to assess performance, parents use it likewise, and politicians use it to justify whatever point they are trying to make. These are incorrect uses for the SAT, and the College Board has been complicit in these inappropriate applications. Consequently, anybody who has an interest in policy decisions that get made because of SAT scores wants to engineer the test to favor their point of view.

I would prefer to see that the results of the test are confidential by student, with the score being provided to colleges for a fee paid by the student (as with a transcript). I think the College Board should aggregate data to such a high level that it can't be used as a political football. That means not summarizing by school, school district, race, gender, ethnicity, and so on.

Rick "thinking the SAT is not a test of basic skills" Denney