The Foreign Service Journal, June 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 61 the three subsections “Problem-Solving and Data Analysis,” “The Heart of Algebra” and “Passport to Advanced Math.”The focus will be on real-life math skills such as calculating percentages and ratios, along with a few representative geometry and trigonometry questions. • Wrong answers will no longer be penalized. The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers, and now the SAT will fol- low suit. This means that students taking the SAT starting in 2016 should fill in all blanks, even if they don’t know the answer to a particular question. • Free SAT test preparation will be available immediately through a joint venture with the Khan Academy. Free materials for SAT preparation have always been available, including on the Khan Academy website, but the private educational prep companies and tutors are still the choice for those who can afford them. And that points to a big issue that the College Board seeks to address: income disparity. Khan Academy founder Salman Khan joined with Coleman in an April press conference that made much of this initia- tive as a way for low-income students to access formerly out-of-reach test “prep.” But most experts believe that as long as expensive, and therefore, exclusive alternatives exist, wealthy families will continue to use them. Still, Khan asserts that these courses will adhere to the highest standards, with the goal of being “the best thing out there—that happens to be free.” down.” Some experts feel this will result in “dumbing down” the test. • America’s important founding documents and meaningful texts will be used as a part of every SAT exam. While the College Board’s efforts to engage students in analysis of documents such as the Declaration of Independence are laudable, this may put foreign students at a disadvantage. However, the revised SAT reading portion will also include texts from “global conversations,” using sources from Gandhi to Mandela. For Foreign Service applicants, that may be a plus. Also included will be texts from literature, the arts and science. •The Mathematics section will be more focused, drawing from fewer math sub- genres. The College Board has renamed