With a revamped SAT college entrance exam set to launch in less than a year, stress levels among soon-to-be test takers are higher than usual. Or, as Andrew Person, 15, who attends Pinole Valley High School in Pinole, Calif., puts it: "This really sucks."

He is one of an estimated 1 million high school sophomores who are expected to take the new SAT next spring as juniors. (Related Q&A: With SAT changing, questions multiply)

The new version, which debuts in March, will drop some longtime features, such as analogies, and add critical-reading passages, higher-level math and an essay. But concerns about the new test appear to be rooted less in content than in uncertainty about how colleges will evaluate scores during the transitional year.

"There's less confusion about what's actually on the test than how it is going to affect (students)," says Jennifer Henry, a college adviser who works with low-income and first-generation college-bound students at Pinole Valley and other schools in Northern California.

In particular, she says, kids are concerned about the essay. But in an era when many college applicants are looking for a strategic advantage, some students wonder whether they should take both the current version, which will be administered through January, and the new version in hopes colleges will accept the higher score. Meanwhile, some parents are fretting that kids won't have time to prepare for the new format.

Some counselors say the environment is so unclear that they're not sure what advice to give students. "We're caught in a terrible spot," says Lou Sabatini, director of guidance at Plainedge High School in Massapequa, N.Y. "It's a very gray area and very unfair to kids."

No single entity exists to which colleges are required to report such plans. Some schools — notably the University of California system — have clarified policies on their Web sites. More colleges may formalize policies now that most applications for this fall's entering classes have been processed, says Jim Montoya, vice president for higher education services at the College Board, which owns the SAT.

Anxiety levels aren't up everywhere. At McQueen High School in Reno, counselor Susan Rusk is sticking to the usual advice. "We encourage kids to take the SAT or ACT in June of their junior year," just after they complete relevant math, English and science courses.

In St. Louis, advisers are similarly downplaying the change, says Jane Schoenfeld, an independent counselor. "The greatest topic of discussion is, 'Let's find ways to keep the stress level down. Let's try to not get families too excited about this.' "