One Year Since First Administration in March 2016, Students Say the New SAT Makes It Easier to Show Their Best Work

On Saturday, March 11, students across the country will take the new SAT®, which marks its one-year anniversary this month. The new test reflects what students are learning in class, making it easier for them to show their best work.

The new SAT is easier than ever to prepare for with free, personalized, practice on Khan Academy®, and it clears the path to college admission with college application fee waivers and scholarships. Like the previous version, the new SAT is accepted by all U.S. colleges.

Students prefer the new SAT by a 7 to 1 margin, saying it’s “easier,” “more straightforward,” and “way more applicable to what we’ve been learning in school.” Here’s why:

1.67 million students in the class of 2017 took the new SAT through January 2017.

Positive Student Response to the New SAT

Following all fall 2016 SAT administrations, the College Board surveyed 94,362 students who completed the test. The majority of students had positive reactions to the new SAT.

• 59% of students who took the old version of SAT said they found the new version easier, while just over half of students who never took the old version of the SAT said they had heard the new version was easier.
• 70% of students said they were tested on the reading, math, and writing skills they’re learning in school.
• Almost 80% of students reported feeling confident going into the SAT.
• Nearly a third of students said they felt extremely or very prepared to take the SAT.
• Of the 70% of students who said they practiced for the SAT, nearly 30% began preparing within a week of test day, and 9% started at least 6 months in advance.
• “The subjects provided at school teach the skills needed to answer most of the questions on the SAT.” – Adriana, NC
• “Everything was based on what I've been learning in my classes for the past two years. Only a few sections were difficult.” – Lisbeth, NV
• “I felt comfortable answering the questions. The vocabulary was perfectly moderate, which helped since it was my first time! I'm very grateful it wasn't as difficult as expected!” – Valentina, FL
• “There were no problems for which I had to have obscure mathematical information memorized.” – Ben, IL
• “Khan Academy helped me understand what types of problems would be on the SAT, and it helped me understand how to solve those problems. I felt very comfortable with the problems presented on the SAT because of Khan Academy.” – Will, SC
• “Calm down and do your best. You can take it as many times as you want. Try to answer every question even if you have to guess, points aren't deducted for wrong answers. Don't worry about people around you. Focus on yourself. For the essay: quality over quantity.” – Hailey, NJ

Educators and parents have also shown support. Based on recent surveys:

• Parents are 6 times more likely to prefer that their child take the new SAT over the old SAT.
• Nearly 6 in 10 teachers support the changes to the SAT.
• More than 75% of counselors indicated that they plan to encourage students to register for the new SAT.