March 2005 marks the start of the new SAT and the new critical reading test. “Critical reading is the new misnomer for the old ‘verbal’ section,” says Jeffrey Sherwood, CEO of Sherwood Test Prep in Sacramento, Calif. Aside from the new name, the biggest change is the elimination of analogy problems (lamp is to light as blanket is to warmth). In its stead, test takers will find short, one-paragraph reading passages.

The changes
The new critical reading test will still comprise three sections for a total of 70 minutes and 67 questions. The old test was five minutes longer and had approximately 11 more questions!
Each reading section will start off with sentence-completion questions. These questions will be followed by two short reading paragraphs with one or two questions each. Longer reading passages will follow.

But I score well on analogies!

If you are one of the students who score higher on the analogy problems, you are not completely left out. While some colleges will only accept the new test (University of California, for instance), others schools have announced that they will accept both the old and new tests (check out Harvard, Yale and Columbia). Still other universities are rethinking their policy for fall 2006 freshman admissions and have yet to make a final decision. Yes, this is a quandary!

If you scored high on the old SAT, check to see if your college of choice will accept that test. Of course, be prepared to take an SAT II writing test as well.

What is critical reading?
“Evaluative reading differs from ‘ordinary’ reading insofar as it reflects a more active and critical mode of engagement,” comments Dr. Peter Briggs, English professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. “Is the statement true? Is it useful? How does it relate to things I already know?”

Knowing how to critically read is important. Bara Sapri, director of Test Prep New York, says: “The deeper we’re able to think, the more likely we’re going to create the world we want for ourselves.”

How can you prepare for the new reading test?
First, read. Then read some more. And keep on reading.

While taking the test, “we encourage our students to read only the most important parts of the essays, and we discourage thorough, time-consuming ‘regular’ reading,” says Sherwood.

What should you read?
“The answer is easy: anything and everything,” quips Briggs. “Whatever we read is adding something to our overall skill in understanding and engaging the world."

“Students should read things they enjoy, but they must up the ante,” says Sapir. “I recommend popular magazines like Utne Reader, Mother Jones, The Nation, The New Republic, and even Rolling Stone and the Village Voice. Some of the better comics are also great for vocabulary building. My students stay interested because I keep their reading material relevant.”

WORD CHALLENGE:
The following bold-faced words appear in this column. Try matching the words to their meanings.

1. ante                          a. state of perplexity

2. misnomer                  b. slang for increasing the stakes

3. quips                        c. a brief, offhand remark

4. quandary                  d. place

5. stead                        e. a name unsuitably applied to something