SAT: A Predictor of Success?
The National Center for Educational Statistics, ran by the United States Department of Education, estimated that “in fall 2015, some 20.2 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 4.9 million since fall 2000” (para. 11). With competition on the rise, many students are required to prove their ability to succeed through the Scholastic Assessment Test or the SAT, but are the SATs effective at predicting success?
The answer is no. Although there are many different viewpoints on the effectiveness of the SATs as a predictor of success, this webpage will reveal why the current SAT is not successful at predicting a student’s ability to succeed in college.
This webpage will focus specifically on three arguments against the use of the SATs which are as follows
- The test is bias against test takers who are from lower income households
- The test is outdated and does not calculate a student's abilities outside of reading, writing, and math
- The resources offered to students taking the test are not equal
Why Does it Matter?
According to College Board, the developers of the SATs, “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” (para. 1). The test assesses a student’s reading, writing, and math skills and is taken by students “during their junior or senior year of high school” (College Board para. 1). Because the test is standardized across the globe, the SAT continues to be widely used by many universities in order to differentiate the students capable of succeeding in college environments from the students lacking the credentials to succeed.
Even though the test is deemed fair and equal due to its standardization, people argue that deficiencies occur within the test due to problems indirectly related to the test. Some argue the test is out of date with today’s curriculums and doesn’t test other skills an individual may have. Opponents of the test want the SATs to be reformed so it takes into account other important skills like science and speech, while others want the test to be completely abolished, claiming that GPAs and other factors are better at predicting a student’s success.Others believe that the test is sufficient because it evaluates the skills taught in a traditional classroom setting.