Scores Drop on Revamped SAT

Average SAT scores for this year’s high school graduates—the first class to have undergone the revamped test that was introduced in March 2005—dipped 7 points below last year’s composite scores for both the mathematics and critical-reading sections, according to a report released today by the College Board, the New York City-based nonprofit organization that sponsors the test.

Some observers say the drop in scores could be partly explained by the revisions, which made the college-admissions exam longer, and possibly more challenging. Test-takers are given 45 more minutes to take the longer, newer version than the previous test, and the test now includes a writing section, more advanced math, and a revamped reading section that uses longer passages to test comprehension. Though the new version was administered three times in the spring of last year, it was not reflected in the report on scores for the class of 2005.

The College Board attributed the drop in scores largely to changes in test-taking patterns, including the fact that fewer students in the class of 2006 chose to retake the test. It noted that students who take the SAT a second time typically see a bounce of about 30 points on the math and reading sections combined...