In United States college admission is governed by two standardized tests SAT and ACT (American College Testing). These tests are conducted by the College Board. SAT was originally adapted from and Army IQ test and introduced as a college admissions test in 1926. Its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and later called the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, and now, simply the SAT. College Board, is a non-profit organization that also administers the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) and AP (Advance Placement) program.

In 1933, President Harvard recommended using the SAT test to assess applicants for scholarship and by 1940s, it became the standard test for all college applicants. The SAT’s dominance of college admissions testing was challenged with the creation of the ACT in 1959. Though initially much less popular than the SAT, the ACT took hold in the Midwest and the mountain states and, in 2010, actually surpassed the SAT to become the most popular college admissions test.

In part because of the increased competition from the ACT, the SAT was completely redesigned, and new SAT became effective on March 2016. The new SAT is now accepted by all US colleges. Some colleges may require that you also take SAT subject test and we recommend that you check the requirements for the college where you plan to apply for admission.

SAT subject tests additional opportunity to show your knowledge of a specific subject. There are twenty SAT Subject tests, which cover English, History, Mathematics, Science and Languages. These tests help college understand your strengths and they give good indication of how ready you are for college level work in these subjects. Colleges also use your SAT subject test scores for admission and course placement and even to help you pick classes. You should consider taking SAT subjects tests in subjects where you have an interest or where you truly shine. Some colleges require that you take certain SAT subject tests, other just recommend them.