High school students studying for the Scholastic Aptitude Test may want to think again after California State University officials recently asked the state Board of Education to develop an assessment and placement test that could eventually replace the famed ? and sometimes feared ? exam.

The new test would include a writing portion, something not seen on the multiple choice-only SATs, said CSU Spokesperson Colleen Bentley Adler. This could provide a better insight into whether students who take the test are prepared for college, she said.

“It?s a good writing component to prepare students for college,” Bentley Adler said.

The test would be administered to high school students during their junior year.

Though the test is in its early stages of development, Bentley Adler said it could go into effect as early as early as next year. It could possibly replace the SAT exam for admission to the CSU?s 23 campuses.

The CSU currently accepts the top one-third of all high school graduates. But students must still pass writing and math placement exams and score a combined 550 out of a possible 1,600 on the SAT?s verbal and math portions.

It’s still too early to tell you what the passing score would be for this particular test, Bentley Adler said.

Sac State students, many of whom have taken both the SAT?s and the CSU?s current placement tests, had mixed reactions to the idea of having one comprehensive placement exam. Freshman John Wheatley said it wouldn?t make a difference which test he had to take.

“One test or another, who cares?” Wheatley said.

Student Susie Dizon thinks having one exam is a good idea, saying some of the exams that she had to take didn’t pertain to what students have to study in college.

Muriel Hintz, a sophomore re-entry student, never had to take aptitude test in high school due to her 3.2 GPA.

“I didn?t have to take the SAT to come here, so for people like me it?s no big deal,” Hintz said.

Many faculty members declined to comment before they actually saw the test, but Learning Skills Center Director Roberta Ching said there is a good chance high school students will be seeing this test in the near future.

Terry Thomas, director of Sac State?s Academic Talent Search, which evaluates middle-school aged students to expose them to the University, said his office would change its testing procedures if the proposed examination goes into effect.

“We?re currently using a test like the SAT for the students we evaluate,” Thomas said. “If the state changes their requirements, we would certainly take a look at adjusting our test, too.”