"It's important to understand that students should take an early look at the test and understand what those new challenges will be — especially, especially on the math section," said Yim, who runs programs across the city for Kaplan, one of the largest test prep programs in the US.

"On the previous test, there were questions that tested just your base line knowledge, your ability to use number operations or setting up equations," he added.

"But now we're talking about a math test that, yes, still is 30 percent word problems, but we're looking at word problems that involve pretty intricate scenarios."

Kregg Strehorn, assistant provost for enrollment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that it's "very hard to believe that any nonnative English speaker is not going to be put at a disadvantage, especially when there's more reading required."

With the reading comprehension spilling over even to the math section, the test becomes even more difficult, he added.

Strehorn, who helps evaluate students' admission applications and has seen an increase in Chinese students applying to the university, said that this new test might influence parents in China to send their children to international schools earlier to get a head start on learning in English.

Students who study in a more Western class setting may have an advantage, he said, even if it's "just a contextual advantage — kind of learning the subjects while they're learning English."

Rick Clark, director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, said that while there won't be a huge drop in scores, he expects a "slight diminishing of average scores in Asia in particular" when the new test is first administered internationally in May. US students will take the new test for the first time in March.

Because of the new test and the lack of knowledge about how well the scores will predict a student's actual success in college, Clark said that Georgia Tech admissions officers are expecting that they will focus less on the test scores in the coming year until students become more familiar with the test.

But experts agree that, overall, the test may be more representative of students' English skills and ability to succeed once they enter a US college.

Clark from Georgia Tech said he hoped there will be a new awareness in China that test scores are important, but no more important than other factors that schools are considering.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com