Global InformationSAT information
 Logo since 2017 | |
| Type | Computer-based standardized test |
|---|---|
| Developer / administrator | College Board, Educational Testing Service |
| Knowledge / skills tested | Writing, critical reading, mathematics |
| Purpose | Admission to undergraduate programs of universities or colleges |
| Year started | 1926 |
| Duration | 2 hours 14 minutes[1] |
| Score / grade range | Test scored on scale of 200–800, (in 10-point increments), on each of two sections (total 400–1600). Essay scored on scale of 2–8, in 1-point increments, on each of three criteria. |
| Offered | 7 times annually[a] |
| Countries / regions | Worldwide |
| Languages | English |
| Annual number of test takers |  Over 1.9 million high school graduates in the class of 2023[3] |
| Prerequisites / eligibility criteria | No official prerequisite. Intended for high school students. Fluency in English assumed. |
| Fee | US$60.00 to US$108.00, depending on country.[4] |
| Scores / grades used by | Most universities and colleges offering undergraduate programs in the U.S. |
| Website | sat |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Education in the United States |
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 Education portal United States portal |
The SAT (/ˌɛsˌeɪˈtiː/ ess-ay-TEE) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and had two components, Verbal and Mathematical, each of which was scored on a range from 200 to 800. Later it was called the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, then simply the SAT.
The SAT is wholly owned, developed, and published by the College Board, a private, not-for-profit organization in the United States. It is administered on behalf of the College Board by the Educational Testing Service,[5] which until shortly before the 2016 redesign of the SAT developed the test and maintained a repository of items (test questions) as well.[6] The test is intended to assess students' readiness for college. Originally designed not to be aligned with high school curricula,[7] several adjustments were made for the version of the SAT introduced in 2016. College Board president David Coleman added that he wanted to make the test reflect more closely what students learn in high school with the new Common Core standards,[8] which have been adopted by the District of Columbia and many states.
Starting with the 2015–16 school year, the College Board began working with Khan Academy to provide free SAT preparation.[9] On January 19, 2021, the College Board announced the discontinuation of the optional essay section, as well as its SAT Subject Tests, after June 2021.[10][11] In January 2022, the College Board announced that the test would move from paper and pencil to a digital format. This change occurred in March 2023 for international test-takers and on March 9, 2024 in the U.S.[12][13]
While a considerable amount of research has been done on the SAT, many questions and misconceptions remain.[14][15] Outside of college admissions, the SAT is also used by researchers studying human intelligence in general and intellectual precociousness in particular,[16][17][18] and by some employers in the recruitment process.[19][20][21]
- ^ "How the SAT is Structured". College Board. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Goldberg, Emma (2020-09-27). "Put Down Your No. 2 Pencils. But Not Your Face Mask". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
test takerswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Fees And Costs". The College Board. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About ETS". ETS. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ "'Massive' breach exposes hundreds of questions for upcoming SAT exams". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ Baird, Katherine (2012). Trapped in Mediocrity: Why Our Schools Aren't World-Class and What We Can Do About It. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. "And a separate process that began in 1926 was complete by 1942: the much easier SAT—a test not aligned to any particular curriculum and thus better suited to a nation where high school students did not take a common curriculum—replaced the old college boards as the nations's college entrance exam. This broke the once tight link between academic coursework and college admission, a break that remains to this day."
- ^ Lewin, Tamar (March 5, 2014). "A New SAT Aims to Realign With Schoolwork". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
He said he also wanted to make the test reflect more closely what students did in high school and, perhaps most important, rein in the intense coaching and tutoring on how to take the test that often gave affluent students an advantage.
- ^ Balf, Todd (March 5, 2014). "The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "College Board Will No Longer Offer SAT Subject Tests or SAT with Essay – College Board Blog". College Board. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Hartocollis, Anemona; Taylor, Kate; Saul, Stephanie (January 20, 2021). "Retooling During Pandemic, the SAT Will Drop Essay and Subject Tests". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-12-28. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
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