Whereas Indian universities use a variety of exams comparable to JEE, CUET, NEET, and extra, in accordance with the programs they’ve to supply, many non-public establishments are more and more favouring the SAT.
Outstanding non-public establishments, together with Ahmedabad College, Ashoka College, Bennett College, BITS Pilani, FLAME College, NMIMS, and Krea College, now settle for SAT scores from resident/non-resident Indians and worldwide candidates.
Rushi Sheth, Vice President (Worldwide), School Board, highlighted the significance of increasing alternatives for Indian college students.
“There are alternatives for glorious schooling in India so our objective is to not see profitable outcomes solely within the type of outbound migration,” mentioned Sheth.
It isn’t about figuring out the highest college students and exporting them to the US, however about making Indian college students perceive the choices which might be obtainable to them right here.
Rushi Sheth, The School Board
“So after we take into consideration the place we wish to put money into India, it isn’t about figuring out the highest college students and exporting them to the US, however about making Indian college students perceive the choices which might be obtainable to them right here.”
The School Board just lately hosted the India World Larger Training Alliance Discussion board 2024 in New Delhi, which centered on guaranteeing profitable pupil transitions to increased schooling, geared toward Indian establishments.
The not-for-profit organisation just lately established the India Students program to assist low-income college students from India.
This system supplies lower-income college students from India choices via which they will get monetary savings as they plan for college, which features a 90% low cost on SAT registration charges and scholarships at collaborating establishments.
Whereas income-eligible college students, finding out in grades 11 and 12, with annual household earnings lower than INR 8,00,000 can entry the registration, these with annual earnings between INR 8,00,000 and INR 1,500,000 can obtain a 50% low cost.
Furthermore, income-eligible college students who get a complete SAT rating of 1300 or increased may additionally qualify for a merit-cum-need scholarship at collaborating universities.
“We want to retain and safe extra companions for the India Students Program. We’re excited to develop it with not simply the variety of scholarships but additionally via our monetary contribution to this system,” mentioned Sheth.
Based on Sheth, the School Board is trying to broaden the scholarship program by 2025.
“We wish to be a complementary piece to the schooling panorama in India. We’re additionally aiming to attach with Indian faculties and allow them to know the numerous choices they will entry via the School Board.”
To be able to be extra versatile with how the SAT is given, the School Board launched the digital SAT in 2023.
Potential school college students are nonetheless required to go to a testing web site in individual, however they now take the examination on a private laptop computer or pill, a school-issued machine, or a borrowed machine supplied by the School Board.
The digital SAT consists of two sections, the studying, writing, and math sections, and it is usually a lot shorter – down to 2 hours from three.
Nevertheless, issues stay about whether or not testing centres in sure locations can have the required know-how to manage the SAT and the way broader check safety points will probably be handled.
On the query of how the School Board will ship the SAT in nations or areas the place web entry might be a difficulty, Sheth maintained that the digital SAT is designed to accommodate such gaps in know-how.
“College students taking a digital SAT, wherever on the planet, solely require a wifi connection two occasions, firstly when they’re unlocking the check and on the finish to submit their solutions,” mentioned Sheth.
“So we wish to guarantee that check centres have some type of wifi community or mobile connection to launch a pupil’s examination.”
Beforehand the SAT has been referred to as off in three nations, with the examination additionally being hit by safety breaches in nations throughout Asia.
Experiences have steered that in some instances, the School Board was conscious of sure safety points and nonetheless went forward with the assessments.
“The largest threat to us has been the concept somebody is breaking right into a locked room and stealing a paper copy of an evaluation. This has historically been the strongest safety menace that we’ve confronted in our 120-year lengthy historical past,” mentioned Sheth.
“However because the world turns into extra digitally related, it turns into a lot simpler to transmit info in actual time. This has been one of many greatest motivating components of our choice to maneuver to digital assessments.”
Based on Sheth, digital SAT permits the School Board to develop entry in locations whereas assuring that not all the scholars will probably be impacted even when one pupil’s check is compromised.
Based on Sheth, practically 2 million college students took the SAT in 2024, up from 1.9 million in 2023.
“I feel participation within the SAT is rising. It’s nearing the pre-pandemic ranges. College students definitely benefit from the expertise of utilizing their very own units.”
Many SAT testing websites closed firstly of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as US faculties and universities made the check non-obligatory.
However main establishments, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how, Dartmouth School, Brown College, Yale College, and the College of Texas at Austin have now reinstated the examination as a part of their first-year software course of.
The flexibility of SAT scores to assist predict first-year school efficiency and supply admissions officers with context for evaluating a pupil’s potential, has come up repeatedly in school bulletins in regards to the check’s reintroduction.
“We all know that universities can profit from this predictive worth of the SAT rating. It’s additionally a a lot shorter check for college students now. Now we have additionally now elevated our free assets for college students,” mentioned Sheth.
Registration for the 2025 AP exams is now open on the School Board web site, with the appliance deadline set for November 15.
The acceptance of AP scores for school credit score is gaining momentum in India.
Common AI College in Karjat, Mumbai, just lately grew to become the primary Indian establishment to formally recognise AP credit.
“We’re evolving our AP packages to include issues that college students can then make investments their private ambitions and educational pursuits,” mentioned Sheth.
“AP Seminar, for instance, presents a college-level dialogue expertise, the place college students drive their very own studying by exploring subjects of private curiosity, from local weather change and trend traits to financial disparity throughout nations.”
