Illinois Potentially Switching from SAT to ACT

Within the next year, Illinois may be switching from the SAT to ACT as it’s mandated state test. In the state of Illinois, all public high school students are required to pass a standardized college entrance exam to graduate. The Board of Education’s current contract with College Board requires 11th grade students to take the SAT and 9th and 10th grade students to take the PSAT. As this contract expires in June, it is likely the Board of Education will make the switch to the ACT for the 2024-2025 school year.

The state has begun negotiating a deal with ACT Inc. that will award the company a $53 million contract over the course of three years. If this deal is successful, it will be the first time the ACT is mandated for Illinois public school students since 2016. While the state is developing these contracts, the Chicago Board of Education recently renewed its contract with College Board for another two years. Therefore, Chicago public school students can expect to continue taking the SAT until 2026.

Some are dismayed by these potential changes, claiming the ACT does not align with current Illinois educational standards. Matthew Raimondi, a district employee, stated “that high school assessment is ultimately going to guide how teachers teach. Teachers are going to teach to the test you select. I urge you as board members to make sure you make the best decision to move to Illinois forward and not back to a test from the last century.” The state superintendent responded to this by assuring educators that whatever test is selected will align with the requisite learning standards.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

Digital SAT Updates

In the 2024 school year, College Board has officially switched to an all-digital model for the SAT. This comes as a significant change from the former paper and pencil model that was utilized for the past several decades. College Board representative Priscilla Rodriguez stated that based on information gleaned from focus groups, students found digital testing to be less complicated and more natural than other alternatives. Students expressed feelings of anxiety when taking the physical SAT and had more confidence when it was administered digitally. This comes as no surprise considering the amount of technology that has been integrated into modern education structures. Because of this, 2024 is the first year that the SAT will be fully adapted to a digital format for all students.

In practice, this means students must take the SAT on their own electronic devices or devices provided by their schools. The digital exam will be administered through an app called Bluebook. This app requires access to an internet connection though College Board claims that the exam takes up very little bandwidth. As an added precaution, the app will automatically save all progress within the exam so that students do not risk losing their work due to internet outages.

College Board is confident in their digital SAT infrastructure as this is not the first time they’ve offered the exam digitally. Throughout 2023 international students took the digital SAT and many high school students took the digital PSAT in the fall of the same year. Thus, College Board believes that the digital SAT will be a successful step towards modernizing the exam for students in the years to come.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

607-848-1266

An Overview of the PSAT

The PSAT is a test taken in a student’s sophomore or junior year, and is typically seen as a trial run for the SAT. The sections are the same on the PSAT as the SAT: evidence-based reading, writing and language, math (no calculator), and math (calculator). Thus, a student’s score on the PSAT is a helpful indicator of where to best focus efforts when preparing for the SAT. Additionally, a PSAT score can give students an idea of how close they are to the average SAT score of their target colleges and universities.

While colleges do not take into account PSAT scores, it’s more than simply a practice test. It also serves as the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships. Every year, around 50,000 students will qualify for recognition based on their PSAT scores - a distinction which can be included in a college application. Of these students, around 8000 finalists will win scholarship money to be used towards their higher education.

Overall, while students shouldn’t stress about the PSAT, it should be seen as a chance to practice standardized test-taking, a helpful tool to focus SAT prep, and a chance to apply for a National Merit Scholarship.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266