Scholastic Aptitude Test

Cultural  

1. A test that purportedly measures the aptitude of high-schoolers for college. Originally devised in 1926, it was not widely employed by colleges to select students until the 1950s and 1960s.

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The SAT is controversial. College admissions officers have relied on it, but critics contend that it contains cultural biases that work against the admission of African-Americans and other minorities.

Example Sentences

The SAT’s original name, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, implied a rigor that even its current defenders would not claim.

From Seattle Times

Once upon a time, “SAT” meant “Scholastic Aptitude Test” — until research showed results had nothing to do with aptitude, and so the makers said it was the “Scholastic Assessment Test.”

From Washington Post

The Collegiate Scholastic Aptitude Test is a gruelling eight-hour marathon of back-to-back tests which is seen as a pivotal moment in your life in the country.

From BBC

The rule requires that incoming freshman maintain 2.0 grade point averages and score 700 or more on the Scholastic Aptitude Test or a 15 on the American College Testing program.

From Washington Times

In “The Big Test,” Lemann used the history of the SAT, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to explain the rise of a rigid meritocratic hierarchy that dominates American society.

From Washington Post