A Brief History
On June 23, 1926, the SAT exam was administered for the first time, a test created by the College Board to predict a student’s likelihood of success in college. Going through name changes and modifications of the testing itself, the SAT has generated controversy over its usefulness as a predictor of college or workplace performance, especially in relation to cultural factors of the test takers.
Digging Deeper
As with any standardized test, the SAT, which once stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test then the SAT Reasoning Test before being shortened to just SAT, has unintended although inevitable biases and assumptions inherent in the source of the creator of the test. Some claim there is no bias.
Racial, ethnic, economic, and other factors are pointed to as possible areas of concern. Students from disadvantaged economic situations are unlikely to afford the SAT prep classes available to wealthier students.
Note: The author of this article found out after taking the SAT and ACT that preparatory guides and classes were available, and that many of my classmates in high school honors classes had availed themselves of such help. Although I did well on the tests, I am sure I could have done exceptionally well if I had the advantage of study guides or prep classes. I felt betrayed.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Are the SAT tests valid?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Johnson, Cynthia. What Smart Girls Know About the SAT: How to Beat the Gender Bias. Kaplan, 2003.
The College Board. The Official Digital SAT Study Guide. College Board, 2023.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by lecroitg of a pencil and test paper, is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
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