Is the SAT Outdated? As institutions across the country eliminate standardized testing from their applications, the significance of the SAT is under question WORDS by ADEN MEISEL ART by CLAIRE TOLLES
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hat is the point of using the SAT? And why do we students still take it? Until recently, standardized testing, specifically the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), held a significant influence in the college admission process. However, even before the pandemic, experts were beginning to question whether this method of academic evaluation is outdated. The utilization of standardized tests first emerged in the midst of the First World War as a means both for the National Education Association to evaluate U.S. college applicants, and for the military to assess enlisted recruits. By the end of the Second World War, the SAT was commonly used by college admission offices around the country. However, in an era of pandemics, political polarization, and momentous social change, today’s nation drastically contrasts from the United States that existed nearly a century ago. Now, with a far more economically diversified demo-
graphic, many academics argue that standardized testing no longer serves as an equitable basis for comparing college applicants. The pandemic has limited the capacity of testing locations, exacerbated financial inaccessibility of test preparation and tutoring, and created uneven access that students have to schooling in general. According to local Educational Consultant Kim Skinner, “People with a lot of financial resources have access to private tutoring, courses, and test preparation which statistics show have a demonstrative and measurable impact on their scores.” Additionally, there are biases of the SAT that, by today’s standards, can be regarded as irrelevant or unnecessary.
This would include the “many idiosyncrasies of the formal English language in the 20th and 21st centuries,” Skinner said. “Understanding the difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ can have a significant impact on your grammar score.” More broadly, it is these specific features of the test that inadvertently disadvantage groups from lower income. “The idiom that is tested is heavily biased towards people that have grown up in households of higher education. It is often difficult to understand especially if English is not your first language.” Ethnicity also has a significant impact on language interpretation as different regions of the world may speak English in slightly differing dialects. For example, New Yorkers say “standing on line,” whereas Californians say “standing in line.” It only takes a slight variation in language interpretation to affect the overall score. Despite these nuances, the College Board has taken steps tow a r d
