Scholastic Aptitude Test

Scholastic Aptitude Test
Name	Scholastic Aptitude Test
Other names	SAT
Established	1926
Administered by	College Board
Purpose	College admissions assessment
Score range	400–1600
Duration	3 hours (+ optional sections historically)

Contents

Scholastic Aptitude Test

The Scholastic Aptitude Test is a standardized college admissions examination created to assess college readiness and academic aptitude for applicants to universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton University. Historically administered by the College Board, the examination has been used by institutions including Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Duke University to inform undergraduate admissions decisions. Major national discussions involving entities like the U.S. Department of Education, advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, nonprofit organizations such as the Educational Testing Service, and state systems like the California State University system have influenced policy and practice around the examination.

History

The examination originated in the 1920s amid debates among educational leaders including figures associated with Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Harvard University, and philanthropies like the Carnegie Corporation and the Gates Foundation. Early adopters included private colleges such as Amherst College and public institutions including University of Michigan and University of Virginia. Over decades, organizations such as the College Board, testing contractors like the Educational Testing Service, and academic bodies at Yale University and Stanford University oversaw reforms that involved scholars from Harvard University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, and research centers like the Brookings Institution. Policy changes were debated in state legislatures and courts, including cases brought before the Supreme Court of the United States, and influenced by civil rights advocates associated with NAACP and legal organizations such as the American Bar Association.

The examination's format has evolved, with versions referenced by researchers at Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Texas at Austin. Sections historically included mathematics aligned to curricula from institutions like Stanford University, reading passages of authors published by Penguin Books and scholarly works from publishers such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, and writing prompts similar to essays taught at Swarthmore College and Williams College. Practice materials have been produced in collaboration with test-prep companies and academic centers at Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, and Brown University. Sample items and blueprints have been analyzed in journals published by American Educational Research Association and discussed at conferences hosted by Association for Psychological Science and National Academy of Sciences.

Scoring conventions were studied by statisticians from Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, and New York University. Scale equating, percentile reporting, and concordance tables have been topics of analysis at research centers such as the Urban Institute and committees convened by the National Research Council. Admissions officers at institutions including Duke University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and University of Virginia interpret scores alongside transcripts from high schools like Phillips Exeter Academy and Stuyvesant High School, extracurricular records linked to organizations such as Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA, and letters from recommenders associated with institutions like Harvard University and Yale University.

Preparation options range from independent study materials published by College Board and tutoring services affiliated with companies like Kaplan, Inc. and The Princeton Review to courses offered at community resources partnered with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America and libraries including the New York Public Library. Summer programs at universities such as University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University Summer Session, MIT Summer Research Program, and Columbia University》 have historically offered preparatory curricula. Test-preparation research has been conducted by scholars at Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of California, Berkeley, and nonprofit evaluators including the Rand Corporation and Brookings Institution.

Administration logistics have involved coordination with testing centers at universities like Princeton University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State University, and Florida State University as well as high schools such as Miami High School and Chicago Public Schools campuses. Accommodations for test-takers have been guided by legal frameworks overseen by the U.S. Department of Education and advocacy from organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and disability rights groups such as the National Federation of the Blind. International administrations have been coordinated through consulates and universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, and Australian National University.

Scholars and policymakers from institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and Princeton University have critiqued the exam's role in admissions, citing research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, civil rights litigation involving the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, policy critiques from the Brookings Institution, and investigative reporting by outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Debates have involved college leaders from University of California system, presidents at Harvard University and Yale University, and government officials within the U.S. Department of Education, raising questions about fairness, disparate impact on students from schools like South Bronx High School and Compton High School, and the influence of coaching services such as Kaplan, Inc. and The Princeton Review.