“…the reading section won’t be so ‘recondite,’ because obscure words like that are disappearing.”

Is this a good thing or does it sound the death knell for sophisticated writing and expression?

“Instead of recalling a definition from vocabulary flash cards, they’ll have to read prose passages carefully to choose an answer.”

Does the act of learning and recalling vocabulary more likely lead to usage of that vocab in college work or common parlance? If so, is that not the purpose of being exposed to vocabulary in the first place—being able to call upon it when crafting a sentence or an argument?

In the math section there will be “fewer questions based on equations and more word problems.”

This is one of the many reasons we see our students leaving the SAT discussion and moving directly to the ACT (that is, of course, until that exam changes structure and philosophy as well).

Do read the article, as it is informative for every student on the Scantron path this spring: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/education/edlife/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-sat.html?_r=0