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SAT Effectiveness Essay

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The SAT’s Effectiveness The SAT is the most widely accepted college admissions test; approximately two million students take it each year. The current SAT measures a student’s masteryin three core topics: English, Math, and Writing. The English section of the SAT is a multiple-choice test whichcovers vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar, and literary analysis. The math test is multiple choice as well as student-produced response, where no answer choices are given but rather students can fill in bubbles for values 0-9999 and thus similar to an open-ended question. The math section examines all topics from pre-algebra to algebra II. The writing section includes an essay that requires students to take a position on a topic, and a multiple-choice test to evaluate the student’s ability to form a logical argument. The test takes approximately three hours and forty-five minutes to complete. The SAT originally stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test, but this name was found to be controversial because many people felt it introduced the test only as an aptitude test. This led to the test simply being referred to at the SAT and not standing for anything (History of the Tests). The SAT …show more content…

The longest test most students have taken, with a time limit, is an Advanced Placement Exam. These tests are proctored by the College Board, which states these test may not be longer than three hours (Advanced Placement Tests Top Questions). The SAT takes a minimum of three hours and forty-five minutes. Sam Rosensohn found that eighty-seven percent of students found it to be the longest test they had ever taken (Rosensohn). This is a much longer test than students are used to and some struggle with endurance. The SAT is a high stakes test and because of the unfamiliar format, students struggle to adjust. The SAT tests for the ability of the student to stay focused for hours rather than pure intellectual

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