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Posted on 08/06/2025 7:38:21 AM PDT by karpov
The SAT has been called many things. Too consequential. Too stressful. Too long. But in its 100-year history, no one ever called it easy.
But lately, a claim that the SAT has been “dumbed down” has ricocheted across social media and lit up education blogs. It’s a hot take that makes for an irresistible retweet but ignores a more important truth: The SAT—in its paper-and-pencil past and in its digital present—remains the gold standard for reliable and rigorous measurement of college readiness.
The SAT was created by College Board a century ago to give college admissions officers a consistent standard for assessing who was ready for college and, most essentially, finding talent regardless of where students learned and lived. In the decades since, as the design and format of the SAT have evolved and the pool of students who take it has expanded, its core purpose hasn’t changed: It continues to measure the knowledge and skills that research shows are most predictive of college success.
The digital SAT may not look exactly the same as the test many of its current critics took in high school, but it serves the same essential purpose: It invites students to show their academic merit by assessing fundamental reading, writing, and math skills.
(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...
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One reason I believe that SAT scores have declined has been the requirement that all seniors take the exam before they are awarded their high school diploma. I know Maine had that requirement for some years. So students who have no intention of going on to college were required to take the exam and really did not care how they did-so minimal if not zero preparation and probably just filling in the ovals for some parts of the test.
Your scores are recorded by the government. If you are interestingly smart they find you. And if you are interesting for other reasons, they look at your scores to get a better picture of you. Also, colleges like to drum up business. Unfortunately college is not very useful any more.
“One reason I believe that SAT scores have declined has been the requirement that all seniors take the exam before they are awarded their high school diploma.”
Correct. It’s the sample. Or rather the “population” from whence the testing group is taken.
For example, in New Mexico, the SAT is mandatory (or was, don’t know now). So the statewide results are very low.
In other states, it’s voluntary, and only those who score well on practice tests take it, as a lot of schools are “test optional”. In those states, the score is high, as the population of test takers are just people who do well on the test.
The same thing is shown at “test optional” schools. They have amazing test results — because only those students with great test scores submit scores.
Of course it was fun to go watch your high school basketball team getting blown out, just so you could chant “SAT SCORES!......SAT SCORES!.....”
The shocking news is that it has declined since the test taking requirements, and at the same time has gotten much much easier (e.g., elimination of analogy section).
Another interesting note, while the median is declining, the number of high or perfect scores is skyrocketing. In the 1980s-90s, there were < 10 perfect scores a year. Now there are ~800 perfect scores, and ~5,000 kids get perfect math scores.
The SAT saved my bacon for college acceptance because my grades weren’t great (laziness).
I would be curious to know what high schools those 5000 students attended.
The SAT, like GRE, etc.; measures general intelligence — the single most important factor affecting general life and success. E.g., if you have a high IQ you will be good at problem solving, kinda important for everything. Etc.
Activist groups opposed looking at IQ for decades since its findings are politically annoying. See “The Bell Shaped Curve”.
And, no, there are no cultural aspects to IQ.
Where and when I went to HS, SAT was optional, taken in Junior year, and only by students on a “college-prep” track, for the sole purpose of applying to colleges/universities. If politics and purposes now cause “general studies” and “vocational” students to take tests designed for college-bound students, a major drop in average SAT performance would be guaranteed.
Yes same for me during high school. I took the ACT and did okay. I was fortunate that my high school chemistry teacher helped me develop life long studying and problem solving skills.
My test scores arrived. I took a drive up to the UCSD registrar's office and signed up for classes starting in January 1974. I graduated in June 1976. Age 19. BA in Molecular Biology, Revelle College. UCSD. Unlike my high school classmates, I only applied to one college. It was what I could afford. Many of them applied all over the country and enjoyed reporting all the acceptance letters.
The GRE was a similar experience. It did feel more like a total brain flush. I had to take an SAT II in Biology to meet the department requirements. Started in the Microbiology department at San Diego State University in September 1976. The Fall semester went fine. Spring semester I caught flu that turned into strep throat then pneumonia. Over a week with a 103 fever. I finished the semester after loosing weeks. It was months to clear my lungs. I re-evaluated my goals and decided not to return.
In West Virginia it is the end of year test for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. Even special needs students with IQs of 75 and below are measured by the PSAT and SAT. I agree that too many students are taking the test which brings down the averages. Nothing makes sense in public education.
How did you get video from inside the Democratic Convention?
GRADUATED HS IN 957.
DO NOT REMEMBER TAKING SUCH A TEST
In 1957 I don’t believe any state required taking the SAT as a requirement for graduation. It started in some states after 2000.
The SAT or the ACT were taken by juniors or seniors planning to attend a four year college. I am not even sure community colleges required those exams.
Excellent point by all of you in posts #2, #5, and #14. All students should not be required to take the SAT.
JMHO... The SAT should only be required for merit scholarships. It is (or was) a tricky test.
Otherwise, if not applying for a scholarship, students should only be required to submit their high school transcripts and to score high enough on the Accuplacer placement test when they apply to college.
Depends on what you plan on studying
I could not pass the SAT.
Instead I am street smart.
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