The College Board's latest report showing the revised SAT can predict first-year college success isn't likely to quell the debate over the entrance exam.

The College Board yesterday released the most recent studies of the SAT college entrance exam, which was overhauled in March 2005.

A third section on writing was added to the test and the other two sections, now known as math and critical reading, were revised. Also, test time was increased by 45 minutes, bringing it to 3 hours 45 minutes.

The results echo preliminary findings, released in April, that the new exam is just about as good as high school grades -- and in some cases better -- at predicting college freshman grades. At the same time, the new exam isn't dramatically better at predicting first-year success than the old one.

The studies, based on 150,000 students at 110 four-year colleges and universities nationwide, are the first for the first group to take the new exam, the class of 2006.

"Now that the results are in, it is clear the writing section has tremendous value," said College Board President Gaston Caperton. "We expect in the future all colleges, with a few exceptions, will use and require writing scores."

Many schools have held off using the writing scores until there was a track record for them.

Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, said, however, the improvement in predicting success over the old SAT is so marginal that he thinks it will reinforce existing positions.

"The ones predisposed to use the test breathe a sigh of relief; the new stuff isn't detracting from the predictive validity," said Mr. Nassirian.

"The ones who are skeptical about the test, I don't think are going to find anything in there to change their minds."

The University of Pittsburgh was among the schools participating in the study, and this fall, it plans to begin using the writing scores as an additional tool in evaluating applicants.

Pitt also will publish writing scores for this fall's freshman class, as it already does for math and critical reading scores.

"Having more information is better, but we're not at the point where we've got 100 percent predictability," said Betsy Porter, Pitt director of admissions and financial aid.

Pitt considers a wide range of variables, from grades to portfolios. Writing is so important that Dr. Porter thinks it's useful for schools to have some measure, whether it's the SAT or writing requested by the school.

From the studies, the College Board drew the following conclusions:

• The SAT "continues to be an excellent predictor" of first-year success.

• The SAT is a better predictor than high school grades for all minority groups (African-American, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian).

• The new writing section is the "most predictive" of the three SAT sections.

• The best predictor is a combination of high school grade point average and SAT scores.

• High school grades alone remain a slightly better predictor of college success than the three sections of the SAT combined.

• The SAT is a stronger predictor of first-year college success for men than for women.

Mr. Nassirian said a weakness in the College Board's evaluation is that the studies looked at high school grades absent any context of how difficult the course work was or where it was taken. He noted high schools vary widely in their offerings and rigor.

In a news release, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, known as FairTest -- a vocal critic of standardized testing -- noted the following statement from one of the College Board studies:

"The results show that the changes made to the SAT did not substantially change how predictive the test is of first-year college performance."

And Robert Schaeffer, FairTest public education director, said in his statement: "Maybe the College Board's slogan should be 'Meet the new test, same as the old test -- only longer and more expensive.' "

Laurence Bunin, senior vice president of operations at the College Board and general manager of the SAT program, said both the old and new SAT exams are "very valid."

He called the SAT a fair national benchmark that colleges depend on in "an era where grade inflation at the high school level is a major problem."