SAT Adversity Score, ACT Retesting, Online Testing

Hello All,

Two quickies or I’ll never get this post out!

SAT Kills “Adversity Score”
I never posted or commented on this about a month back when the news came out, but this is a very very good decision to rescind an incredibly bad one. One aspect the article doesn't really go into is how the stigma of one's "adversity score" would affect them, whether fellow students knew one's score or not.

Read the New York Times story about this SAT change.

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ACT Big Changes

Students will now be able to retake individual sections of the ACT, and the test will be available online. Points of note:

“... taking an individual section would be cheaper, but they had not yet decided on a price.”

Oh, I'm guessing they have indeed decided on a price, and that, well, the test will become more convenient and improvable ... for those who can afford to take it multiple times.

Also, while the individual sections story is important, they kind of buried a second lede. That is, the ability to not only take the test online (which has been a *long* time coming) but also get it scored in days instead of weeks. That is a pretty huge change that also should “increase revenue for the organization” and convenience.

Online testing will also make it easy to offer last-minute registration. I'm guessing last-minute three-day play hooky cram courses are soon to follow, and that the folks in Princeton (at the College Board) will soon follow suit by offering all the same new features for the SAT.

Read the ACT story in the New York Times.

On a lighter note, it’s always nice to see the steps at Columbia (pic that accompanied the ACT article), on which, circa 1983 I may have missed a class or two whilst sitting with friends and my boombox.