FEWER COLLEGES REQUIRING STANDARDIZED TESTS
If you or your students struggled with standardized tests, there is good news on college admissions as increasing numbers of schools no longer require tests for admission.
This fall, over 80% of four-year colleges won’t require students to submit ACT or SAT scores. There are over 1800 institutions that are test-optional.
See an updated list from Fair Test HERE.
Standardized tests can be especially difficult for dyslexic students because the questions aren’t being presented in the context of classroom discussions and homework. Many students lack appropriate accommodations for extended time or writing in a test booklet, so high-stakes test may especially underestimate a student’s ability.
NCAA DROPPED MANDATORY COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS
Always check with the schools that you are considering applying to, but many schools eliminated mandatory tests and the NCAA revised their policy.
For more information from NCAA visit here.
More discussion about this is available from Honest Game.
THE SAT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO BE SHORTER AND ONLINE. CALCULATORS ARE NOW ALLOWED ON ANY SECTION
It may be helpful for students to know that the new Digital SAT is now here.
The College Board is making a full transition to digital testing, so pencil and paper testing and those dreaded scantron bubble sheets will be gone for the vast majority of students; students who require pencil and paper tests will be able to receive them as an accommodation, however.
Importantly, in this update to the SAT, the “calculator-free” section of the new SAT (introduced in 2016) has been removed. We know many dyslexic students with dyscalculia who were forced to switch to the ACT because of this discriminatory change.
The new digital SAT is 2 hours instead of 3 and has shorter reading passages.
There are 3 parts – Reading, Writing, Math, with a break between each.
The Digital SAT can be taken on a laptop or tablet. It can be a personal or school-issued device.
Included in the test: a way to flag questions to return to them later, a countdown clock that students can choose to show or hide, a built-in graphic calculator that students can use on the entire math section, and a math reference sheet with common formulas.
The revision committee must have considered mistakes in the previous design.
STARTING FALL 2023, PSAT TESTS WILL ALL BE DIGITAL
The PSAT often taken earlier by high school students – and making students eligible for National Merit Scholarships will all be digital by Fall 2023.
What this means is that students taking practice tests should take computer-based practice tests if they want to simulate what real tests will be like. There is an official digital SAT practice section at the Khan Academy.
With all the changes in the PSAT and SAT, if your student chooses to take them, we would strongly recommend taking practice tests that include learning how to use or hide available tools and specific test taking strategies – like whether to guess if you can narrow down choices.
Many of the digital SAT changes seem like an improvement for dyslexic students.
For instance from the College Board:
“Questions throughout the digital test will be more direct, and closely focused on assessing what students need to know to succeed in college and career. In the Reading and Writing section, instead of a few long reading passages with multiple questions per passage, students will see many shorter texts, each tied to just one question. For the Math section, questions in context (word problems) will be more concise than those on the current test.”
Additional information that seems helpful includes providing a technology monitor in the test-taking classroom, and options to recharge for students who have extended time accommodations.
Click here to read more about ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE DIGITAL SAT.
If approved for accommodations, students can have a human reader for the test or use their screen-reading software. Students approved for dictation on the test can use their software’s speech-to-text.
These changes are a tremendous improvement over prior tests where students suddenly may have had to learn new dictation software for an exam. It does mean that students who want to prepare well for the exams should learn how to use their software well.
WHY SHOULD MY STUDENT TAKE A COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM IF IT IS NOT
REQUIRED FOR SCHOOLS OR NCAA?
There are many reasons why dyslexic students may choose to take college entrance exams even if they are not required for the schools they are applying for or their athletic programs. At the top of the list for reasons why is the fact that good test scores can increase financial aid packages and make students eligible for scholarships. Some students may even be able to obtain scholarships base on their test scores, without applying.
Scholarships and large financial aid packages mean smaller loans and potentially fewer working hours needed to make ends meet during the school year.
Strong test scores may also help students with admissions to select schools – especially if they have uneven grades in coursework or only homeschool grades from parents. The scores support their ability to succeed in higher education.
Some states may require or strongly encourage all high school students to take the SAT or ACT. SAT or ACT School Days are sometimes created by state boards of education to encourage students to take them and apply to college.
Although rare, there are certain employers who will ask for SAT scores for jobs. Examples include careers like finance or consulting.
TESTS OR NO TESTS
Regardless of whether you or your student opt to take one of the college entrance exams, the changing landscape of these tests means that it’s important to hold on to your individual differences, life perspectives and experiences, interests, and talents beyond grades and test scores.
It’s a good thing that colleges and universities are making changes to welcome students who in previous times may not have been considered “college material.”
Remember also that most community colleges and some technical colleges have “open door” policies which essentially mean 100% acceptance. Even without a high school diploma, some schools allow students to earn high school and college credits at the same time, so a high school diploma is not essential.
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