By Natasha Khan. A planned overhaul of the SAT is fueling concern in Beijing classrooms and is set to pose a fresh challenge for Chinese test-prep companies seeking techniques to crack the admission test.
The revamp slated for spring 2016 is intended to make the exam more reflective of U.S. high-school work and require students to show critical-thinking skills by analyzing science and history texts. The changes are causing anxiety for Chinese applicants, who often rely on months of cramming at schools of companies such as New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (EDU)
Close to a third of the 339,993 international undergraduate students in the U.S. came from China during the 2012-2013 school year, data from the Institute of International Education show. Chinese prep classrooms have for years used detailed dissections of prior exams, lengthy word lists and canned essays to help even students with limited English fluency master the SAT. More...