In 2016, there will be some major changes made to the format of the SAT college entrance exam. This redesigned SAT, according to College Board, “will focus more on a student’s classroom achievement and will contain fewer ‘tricks’,” in order to make the test more accessible and eliminate any existing gaps in educational opportunity.

The new test will go back to its original 1600-point scale and make the essay, which is currently required, optional. One of the biggest changes in this redesigned test regards the scoring-system. Currently, there is a deduction of one-fourth of a point for every incorrect answer, and no deduction for omitted answers. On the new SAT, however, points will not be deducted for incorrect answers, meaning the stress of deciding whether or not to guess on a question will no longer exist.

Some of the other notable changes include that the reading section will focus on using more relevant vocabulary, and the math section, “will focus on math that matters most”. All in all, it is debatable whether these changes make the SAT easier or simply improve its structure. The goal, however, is clear: it was revised to make the most fair, balanced, and relevant college entrance exam possible.