Kaplan Test Prep Survey: While Details Are Still Scarce on the Planned 2015 SAT® Overhaul, 72% of College Admissions Officers Agree the Test Should Be Changed

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Gatekeepers cite need for greater sensitivity to diverse backgrounds, questions about Writing section value, desire for greater alignment with high school curriculum

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The SAT and ACT®, the high-stakes admissions exams taken by millions of
aspiring college students each year, will both look very different in
two years -- and that’s welcome news to college admissions officers.
According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2013 survey* of college admissions
officers from 422 top schools across the country, 72% agree that “the
SAT should be changed” -- which aligns with the College Board’s plan to
overhaul the test in 2015. Though the SAT maker hasn’t provided many
specifics about the planned changes, the announced intent is to better
align the exam with what students learn in the classroom to achieve
academic excellence. Test takers can also expect changes to the Writing
section, where mastery of facts will be more prominent.

College admissions officers surveyed weren’t shy about sounding off on
what they thought needed to be changed about the SAT, which included:

While admissions officers support revising the SAT, students are more
ambivalent. In a separate Kaplan survey of SAT takers in March, only 39%
of students said the exam should change, while 35% opted for no change;
remaining survey respondents were unsure. The last time the SAT saw a
major revamp was in 2005 when the Writing Section was added, bringing
the scoring scale up to 2400 from 1600.

Admissions officers are more comfortable with the current ACT, with 76%
saying the ACT should not change, at least from a content perspective;
the vast majority (87%) agree with the test maker’s decision to change
the ACT to a computer-based format in 2015.

“Aspiring college students and their parents will have much to learn and
process over the next two years as both the SAT and ACT fundamentally
change,” said Seppy Basili, vice president of K-12 and college
admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Key things to consider: exams
are rarely easier after a major change, and few teens have ever taken a
computer-based test that is three hours long. We’ll be tracking the
changes closely and update our own curriculum accordingly to ensure
students are prepared.”

Also of note: Of the 88% of colleges and universities surveyed that
require either an SAT or ACT score for admission, 99% say they have no
plans to drop the requirement.

Other key survey results:

* For the 2013 survey, 422 admissions officers from the nation’s top
national, liberal arts and regional colleges and universities – as
compiled from U.S. News & World Report – were polled by telephone
between July and August 2013.
Among participating schools were
four of the top ten ranked ones.

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not
involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product; ACT is
a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which was not involved in the
production of, and does not endorse this product.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com)
is a premier provider of educational and career services for
individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the
world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of
online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital
products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests,
including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate
school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys,
physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and
graduate admissions consulting services.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post
Company (WPO)

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