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SAT

Topic

A standardized test used for college admissions. Dartmouth brought it back, citing data that it serves as a 'great equalizer' for finding high-achieving students from lower-income backgrounds.


First Mentioned

9/17/2025, 2:49:46 AM

Last Updated

9/17/2025, 3:02:20 AM

Research Retrieved

9/17/2025, 3:02:20 AM

Summary

The SAT, originally known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a standardized examination developed and published by the College Board, a private not-for-profit organization in the United States. Administered by the Educational Testing Service, it debuted in 1926 and has undergone several name and scoring changes, now simply known as the SAT. Primarily used for college admissions to assess students' readiness for higher education, it measures literacy, numeracy, and writing skills. The 2016 version was specifically designed to better align with high school curricula and Common Core standards. The College Board partners with Khan Academy to provide free preparation resources. In a significant change, the College Board announced on January 19, 2021, the discontinuation of the optional essay section and SAT Subject Tests after June 2021. Beyond its primary role, the SAT is also utilized in research on human intelligence and in recruitment processes. Notably, Dartmouth College has recently reinstated the SAT as part of its admissions process, underscoring its continued, albeit evolving, role in higher education.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Cost

    $68

  • Sections

    Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Math

  • Developer

    College Board

  • Publisher

    College Board

  • Test Type

    Standardized, norm-referenced

  • Other Uses

    Research on human intelligence, intellectual precociousness, recruitment processes

  • Current Name

    SAT

  • Administrator

    Educational Testing Service (ETS)

  • Original Name

    Scholastic Aptitude Test

  • Scoring Range

    400 to 1600

  • Primary Purpose

    College admissions

  • Target Audience

    High school juniors and seniors

  • Average Score (2022)

    1050

  • Curriculum Alignment

    Adjusted in 2016 to align with high school curricula and Common Core standards

  • Preparation Resources

    Free preparation through Khan Academy

  • Length (Computer-based)

    2 hours 14 minutes

  • Administration Frequency

    7 times per year (August, October, November, December, March, May, June)

  • Discontinued Sections/Tests

    Optional essay section, SAT Subject Tests

Timeline
  • The SAT debuted, originally named the Scholastic Aptitude Test. (Source: DBpedia)

    1926-01-01

  • The College Board began working with Khan Academy to provide free SAT preparation for the 2015-16 school year. (Source: DBpedia)

    2015-09-01

  • A new version of the SAT was introduced, with adjustments made to better align with high school curricula and Common Core standards. (Source: DBpedia, prompt summary)

    2016-03-01

  • The College Board announced the discontinuation of the optional essay section and SAT Subject Tests. (Source: prompt summary, DBpedia)

    2021-01-19

  • The discontinuation of the optional essay section and SAT Subject Tests took effect. (Source: prompt summary, DBpedia)

    2021-06-30

Web Search Results
  • SAT - Wikipedia

    The SAT is a norm-referenced test intended to yield scores that follow a bell curve distribution among test-takers. To achieve this distribution, test designers include challenging multiple-choice questions with plausible but incorrect options, known as "distractors", exclude questions that a majority of students answer correctly, and impose tight time constraints during the examination. [...] Like other standardized tests such as the ACT or the GRE, the SAT is a traditional method for assessing the academic aptitude of students who have had vastly different educational experiences and as such is focused on the common materials that the students could reasonably be expected to have encountered throughout the course of study. As such the mathematics section contains no materials above the precalculus level, for instance. Psychologist Raymond Cattell referred to this as testing for [...] The SAT is typically taken by high school "High school (North America)") juniors and seniors. The College Board states that the SAT is intended to measure literacy, numeracy and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. They state that the SAT assesses how well the test-takers analyze and solve problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college.

  • What is the SAT Test? - The Princeton Review

    The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, computer-based test created and administered by the College Board. The SAT is used to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants. College admissions officers will review standardized test scores alongside your high school GPA, the classes you took in high school, [...] When should I take the SAT? Most high school students take the SAT, the ACT, or both during the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. It's important to leave time to re-take the test if you need to raise your score before you apply to college. The SAT exam is offered nationally every year in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. View all upcoming SAT test dates. What is on the SAT? There are two SAT sections, each with 2 modules: Math [...] Many colleges require scores from the SAT or ACT tests as a part of the admissions process. Your SAT score is a key component of your college applications. SAT Basics SAT Length | 2 hours 14 minutes SAT Sections | Evidence-Based Reading and WritingMath SAT Cost | $68 Highest SAT Score | 1600 Average SAT Score | 1060 What is the SAT?

  • The SAT: Format, Structure and Question Types - StudyPoint

    The SAT is a college entrance exam that many colleges and universities in the United States use as part of the college admissions process. Looking for basic information about the SAT test format? We've got it! SAT Basics The SAT is a standardized test that measures a student's skills in three core areas: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. Students in grades 11 and 12 take the SAT so that they can submit their scores to colleges as part of the college application process. SAT Format [...] The SAT is composed of three main sections — Math, Evidence-Based Reading, and Writing. There is an optional 50-minute essay, and total testing time with the essay is 3 hours and 50 minutes. The breakdown of each remaining section can be found in the table below. [...] SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product. ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. StudyPoint has no affiliation with ACT, Inc., which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product. PSAT/NMSQT® is a trademark jointly owned by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse this product. All

  • What is the SAT? - Study in the States - Homeland Security

    According to the College Board, The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. A student who takes the SAT can expect a test of reading, writing and math comprehension. A student may also take SAT subject tests,which measure comprehension of a specific subject. Though strategies for study may vary, the College Board recommends that students prepare for the SAT in a straightforward way: [...] Many colleges and universities in the United States require students to submit scores from the SAT test as part of the application process. The test was originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and later became the Scholastic Assessment Test. The acronym SAT no longer stands for anything but is the actual name of the test. [...] At over 1,000 testing centers, the College Board offers the SAT six times a year: October, November, December, January, May and June. To ensure that the results for international students are held to “the same standards of quality, service, shipping, and security,” there are additional fees to take the tests. While students should do their best, remember that the SAT score is only one of many factors that school admission officers take into account. Source:

  • What is the SAT? | SNHU

    The exam — typically taken by high school juniors and seniors — is administered by the College Board, an organization that's offered the test for about 100 years. What Does the SAT Test For? The SAT test is split into 2 sections: reading/writing and math. Each portion is scored individually, and they then combine for one overall score that universities may require as part of their admission requirements. [...] Apply Now Online Students For All Online Programs International Students On Campus, need or have Visa Campus Students For All Campus Programs What is the SAT? Three letters in the alphabet can make a high school student tense up. S-A-T. Formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test. "At its core, it's designed to test for academic college readiness and aptitude," said Tim Whittum, associate vice president of admission at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). [...] SAT scores range between 400 and 1600, with the latter being a perfect score. But there's a much wider range of "good" scores — and depending on your college goals, what you consider good may be different for someone else. The average SAT score for high schoolers who took the exam in 2022 was 1050, according to the College Board — almost right in the middle of the scoring range.

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; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later 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, which until recently developed the SAT as well. The test is intended to assess students' readiness for college. The SAT was originally designed not to be aligned with high school curricula, but several adjustments were made for the version of the SAT introduced in 2016, and College Board president David Coleman has said that he also wanted to make the test reflect more closely what students learn in high school with the new Common Core standards. Starting with the 2015–16 school year, the College Board began working with Khan Academy to provide free SAT preparation. 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. While a considerable amount of research has been done on the SAT, many questions and misconceptions remain. Outside of college admissions, the SAT is also used studying human intelligence in general and intellectual precociousness in particular, and in the recruitment process.

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