The College Board and the Educational Testing Service [ETS] will be assessing the effectiveness of its revised multiple-choice writing section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT] in November on select campuses across the country.

Campus junior and senior English classes will be participating in the nation-wide study, as they take a version of the sample test during the first week of November.

“”The purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate number of questions and mixture of items for the writing test that will be part of the SAT and to ensure that the test is fair for all students,”” reads a statement released by the SAT flyer promoting the practice test.

“”I think it will be pretty interesting to take the test,”” Elise Aydelotte, ’05, said. “”When I take the SATs, I will be taking the old version, but it will be kind of cool to get a sneak-peek at the new version.””

Another benefit the students will reap is a free assessment of their practice- test results.

“It’s an honor being included as a participant in this study,” Molly Sargent, senior English teacher, said. “The school will have some input in to the shaping of the new version of the SAT. The results will also be valuable to the English department as they will help us determine curriculum strengths and weaknesses.”

However, the results will not be made available to anyone except the student, the participating school and the testing service.

“The revised SAT will benefit the students who take it because practice for the SAT should boost their scores,” Jon Endicott, vice principal, said. “But the real long-term benefit will be for our current freshmen and sophomores; the SAT itself should improve as it begins to reflect the test results from around the nation.”

The changes being made to the current SAT are extensive. In addition to the new multiple-choice writing section, an essay portion will also be added. However, the sections of analogies and quantitative comparisons will be eliminated.

“The College Board and ETS will use the practice results to adjust the test to make it a fair, standardized universal test,” Endicott predicted.

The new version of the SAT will go into effect in the spring of 2005. The class of 2006 will be the first class affected by the new version, to the disappointment of some.

“”I am not looking forward to taking the new SAT,”” Andrew King, ’06, said. It’s longer, more expensive and we have to write an essay, which is not fun.””

The next SAT test day is scheduled for Jan. 24; however students must register by Dec. 22. The registration fee is $16 and can be turned in to Endicott or students may apply online at www.collegeboard.com.

For more information on the SAT multiple-choice writing study, contact senior English teacher Molly Sargent or the high school office at 299-1695, ext. 5. Time magazines’ article “”Inside the New SATs”” in the Oct. 27 issue also details the new SAT. Visit www.time.com/time/covers/1101031027/ for more information.