There will be numerous changes to the SAT starting in March of 2016. Some of the changes are in areas such as content, format, and scoring.

The new test consists of two mains sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section is comprised of two parts: a 65-minute long reading section with 52 questions and a 35-minute long writing and language section with 44 questions. The math section will consist of two parts as well: a 25-minute long no calculator portion with 20 questions and a 55-minute long calculator portion with 38 questions.

The essay will no longer be timed; it will be scored separately,  and it will be optional. In addition, the entire test will be available both on paper and on the computer.

Rather than scoring on a 2400 point scale, the original scale of 1600 points that had been in place until 2005 will return. A big relief for many test takers is that there is no longer a penalty for incorrect answers.

Previously, SAT preparation classes were only available to affluent families because of high costs. The College Board is partnering with Khan Academy to offer free online test preparation tutorials in an attempt to help students from all different income backgrounds score higher.

In a speech mentioned in the Washington Post in 2014, College Board president David Coleman expressed his concern for the SAT’s accessibility–or lack of it.

“The College Board cannot stand by while some test-prep providers intimidate parents at all levels of income into the belief that the only way they can secure their child’s success is to pay for costly test preparation and coaching,” Coleman said. “If we believe that assessment must be a force for equity and excellence, it’s time to shake things up.”

With these new changes College Board officials hope to make the SAT more widely accessible and a better reflection of what is taught in schools.

“It is time for an admissions assessment that makes it clear that the road to success is not last-minute tricks or cramming, but the learning students do over years,” Coleman said. “The SAT will no longer stand apart from . . . daily studies and learning.”

Still, there is skepticism from many on whether or not these changes will actually be successful in breaking the link between test scores and economic class.

Additionally, in recent years, more and more students are drifting towards the rival ACT exam. The SAT and ACT are similar in mission but different in content, with the SAT measuring thinking skills and the ACT measuring achievement related to high school curricula. For this reason alone, many students are beginning to prefer the latter over the SAT.