is a test that has been used in the college admissions process for over fifty years. It was introduced by the president of Harvard University, James Bryant Conant, and the head of ETS (Educational Testing Service), Henry Chauncey. Initially, they envisioned this test to be an idealistic way to evaluate and categorize American students based on intelligence testing. The reason behind this, however, is more deeply rooted. Chauncy and Conant came up with this idea shortly after WWII ended, with the intentions that it would "create a new democratic elite that would lead postwar America to progress, strength, and prosperity" (www.the-big-test.com). This plan, however, did not fulfill their aspirations. While the test was successful in creating an upper-class, it also effectuated disaccord and hostility, especially pertaining to issues of class and race. This test, though it was intended to create a NEW aristocracy, it merely created a "meritocracy" that is "neither natural nor inevitable, and it does not apportion opportunity equally or fairly" (www.the-big-test.com).
When the test was originally introduced, the letters SAT stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test. This is no longer the case. The College Board (the organization that sponsors the SATs) got rid of the acronym but kept the letters, allowing them to stand on their own, free of the controversy surrounding the meaning of the word aptitude. (www.howstuffworks.com) The test assesses the math and verbal reasoning abilities that a student has acquired over the years. The questions are aimed at determining how capable a student is when it comes to analyzing written material, coming up with conclusions, distinguishing between various nuances of meaning, and solving math problems. These are all skills that are considered a necessity if a student wants to succeed in college, as well as later on in one's respective work field.
The SATs have often showed inconsistencies in the scores of different ethnicities and sexes.