Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. an entrance exam
    • ex. My son has been studying for the entrance exam since last month.
  2. multiple choice
    • ex. Do you know if the test is multiple choice?
  3. favor
    • ex. My friend said that she loves all of her pets equally, but I think she really favors her cat.
  4. a GPA (grade point average)
    • ex. I had a really high GPA in high school.
  5. an admissions essay
    • ex. The admissions essay is a good chance to tell schools about yourself.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The SAT, one of the most popular college entrance exams in the US, is going digital. SAT officials announced that American students will begin taking the test online in 2024, while international students will start one year earlier. Students will still have to take the test at schools or test centers, but it will take only two hours. Currently, the SAT is about three hours long.

The SAT will continue to be mainly multiple choice, but reading sections will be shorter, and students will be allowed to use calculators for the whole math section. Scores will be released in just a few days instead of weeks. If students don’t have their own computer, they’ll be able to borrow one on the day of the test.

Critics of the SAT say that it favors richer students because they have the money to take prep courses and pay for the test multiple times. For many years, entrance exams like the SAT were necessary to apply to college, but now, about 80% of American four-year colleges say they aren’t requiring such tests anymore. Instead, they’re focusing more on GPAs and admissions essays.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

College Admissions

  • Do you agree that college entrance exams favor richer students? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, are GPAs and admissions essays a good way for colleges to choose students? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that college admissions applications should be free? Why or why not? Discuss.

Tests

  • How do you feel about three-hour tests (ex. too long, sometimes necessary)? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, are multiple choice tests a good way to check students' learning? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that students should always be allowed to use calculators on math tests? Why or why not? Discuss.