The Expert Case For–And Against–The SAT

Before they graduate, almost every student at The School Without Walls will take the SAT. They join around 2 million students across the United States who take tests during their highschool years. So what is it exactly that this test measure? 

The College Board, which develops and administers the exam, says that it measures students' reading and math abilities. During the 2 hours and 14 minutes for which the test is administered, students answer standardized multiple choice questions, divided into 2 sections: reading and writing, and math. The test contains questions asking about everything from the height of a parabola to the meanings of poems by the likes of Robert Frost.

While the test is widely required by many colleges for admission, some experts as well as students from Walls question its value. 

Stanford psychology professor Claude Steele pointed out in an interview with PBS that, “The test has been found to measure only about 18 percent of the things that it takes to do well in school, and thus is not a very good predictor of how a student will do in college.” Many students from Walls also agree with this assessment. 

When asked, Colette Gregg (‘26) a junior who took the SAT this spring at Walls said, “Your academic abilities should not be determined by one test and instead by things like your participation, extracurriculars, and how you are able to apply the knowledge you learn to the real world.” 

Junior Campbell Tiller (‘26) agreed: “Everyone expresses knowledge in different ways. Also, not everyone is a good test taker, but that doesn’t mean that they don't understand the concept as much as someone who is” 

Research tends to be on Tiller’s side as well, suggesting that the SAT is not, in fact, all important. A 2019 study by Brian Galla, a psychology professor at the University of Pittsburgh found that a students GPA tends to be a more accurate predictor of college success than their score on the SAT or ACT. 

Others still point out the wide achievement gaps on the SAT based on socioeconomic status. Wealthier students who have access to paid test prep in the form of private education, books or tutoring tend to perform better on the exam. 

Despite abundant qualms with the test, others still argue that it’s a useful tool to help colleges compare students nationwide. Furthermore, although the SAT shows socioeconomic bias, it is often the same as or less dramatic than the disparities in areas like extracurriculars, says Julie Park of the University of Maryland. Park’s position is maintained by many universities that in restoring testing policies over the last year, have argued it’s a necessary objective measure. 

Considering that there remains no clear consensus among experts and industry professionals about the exam it seems that for the time being, Walls students will continue to face it each spring.