Mindspire Prep is a member of the National Test Prep Association. Now, we understand that this might not mean anything to the average parent, but it helps us help your child by putting us at the front lines of what College Board, the org that runs the PSAT and SAT (and A.P. exams), is doing during these, ahem, unprecedented times.

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So come with us on a journey to the Emerald City and follow the Yellow Brick Road of what College Board shared with tutors at the latest forum.

Bluebook Updates

All students should be ultra-familiar with the Bluebook software before they sit for their test for real — get in touch with the home office if you still need to schedule those proctored mock exams!

We tutors had noticed that Test 1 on the Bluebook had not been as rigorously predictive as one might hope. Fortunately, College Board decided to re-norm the first three exams to better reflect the difficulty of the real test. (In separately released news, the Test Innovators team also re-normed their scoring algorithm, which may be reflected in the full-length mocks your student takes on that platform.)

What does this mean for you? Not much changes on your side — just know that the people that release the practice exams are aware that it’s a fluid, ongoing work in progress and not a one-and-done release.

Admissions Testing Policy Trends

As we’ve discussed here on Mindspiration before, the overall trend compared to the 2020-2021 school year is a pendulum swing back towards selective colleges requiring the SAT (or ACT).

Dartmouth and Brown reinstated SAT requirements, citing studies that show test scores offer strong predictive value for college success, especially over GPA alone. These schools highlight that test-optional policies may disadvantage less-advantaged students who submit scores less frequently.

However, much like the sometimes surreal worlds of a fantasy movie, it’s difficult to predict what any individual school will do. By way of example, Carnegie Mellon is now adopting test-flexible policies, while other schools remain test-optional or test-required.

Test-optional admissions make assessing preparedness difficult, particularly in STEM, and increase complexity in holistic review. Schools also face challenges around score interpretation and communication to applicants. College Board is more the messenger than the policymaker here — as Jeff Selingo memorably put it, we don’t have a higher education system in the U.S., but multiple overlapping systems.

How’s Digital Testing Going?

The digital SAT uses a multistage adaptive model for a shorter, more flexible test. Scoring is based on Item Response Theory for precision, predicting first-year GPA well. Overall, we tutors have noticed that most students prefer this format of the SAT. If your student is one of those who isn’t scoring where they want and it appears to be a systemic issue with the test content or format, we’re happy to run a mock ACT to see if that exam is the better fit.

Digital PSAT pilot programs reinforce this point of view: students and testing site admins prefer the digital, adaptive format.

Admissions Outcomes: Looking at Retention

Click your heels and wish for the pre-2020 landscape as you might, there’s no going back “home” to the old college admissions paradigm.

Test-optional policies have increased application numbers, especially at the most prestigious name-brand institutions, but haven't shifted demographic compositions at those colleges significantly. Some data suggest lower test-score submitters have lower admission rates.

Additionally, the higher scoring students have statistically better retention rates — it’s a big part of our “why,” because we know that getting in is just the first step on the journey. Your student wants to find a college that’s a good fit, including academically.

Looking Towards the Future

Institutions continue to evaluate test score policies. Schools like Washington University plan further studies to refine their policies. Clearer messaging on test requirements, improved “holistic” review, and targeted student support are themes that come up from the institutional side. College Board will also expand digital testing resources and practice materials as the SAT evolves digitally, and we’ll stay plugged in and share those findings as they come out.

We’re not in Kansas anymore, perhaps, but the only thing constant in this world is change. Get in touch if you want to discuss any of these finer points of the test prep landscape further — that’s what we’re here for.

With one test left in December, make sure your student is registered before November 22nd!