The College Board has recently announced that it will be instituting changes to redesign the SAT beginning in 2016. Changes will likely affect students currently in ninth grade.

“The redesigned SAT will focus on the knowledge and skills that current research shows are most essential for college and career readiness and success,” according to the College Board’s website.

The newly modified test will be on a 1600 scale with an optional essay portion to be scored separately and will have no penalty for wrong answers. Instead of a general prompt asking students to come up with their own historical or literature based examples, the new, optional essay will ask students to determine how a given text builds an argument to persuade an audience.

Other changes include eliminating obscure vocabulary questions in the reading section and focusing instead on what the College Board calls “relevant words in [the] context” of a passage. The redesigned math section will also now focus primarily on three areas: quantitative literacy including using ratios, percentages and reasoning to solve a variety of problems; the mastery of linear equations and systems; and the understanding and manipulation of complex equations.

The new test will also not subtract points for wrong answers. Formerly, one quarter of a point was subtracted for every wrong answer in multiple choice portions. The College Board said they hope this change will encourage students to give their best answer for every question rather than choosing to not answer questions for fear of getting the answers wrong and losing more points.

“We are taking the mystery out of the exam,” said the College Board, promising to provide sample test questions and full test specifications by April 2014.