The SAT turned 100 this summer, marking a century since the first exam was given on June 23, 1926. The test has evolved from a 97-minute, nine-part assessment into a widely used admissions measure, while colleges and researchers continue to debate what test scores can—and cannot—say about applicants’ academic preparation and opportunity.
Key facts
- The first SAT was administered to more than 8,000 candidates on June 23, 1926.
- Harvard began using the SAT for scholarship students in 1934 and required it for all applicants beginning in 1941.
- More than 2 million students now take the SAT annually.
- Research cited by Harvard found children in the wealthiest 1% of U.S. families were 13 times more likely than children from low-income families to score 1300 or higher on the SAT or ACT.
How did the SAT become a central college admissions test?
The SAT became central to admissions through expanding institutional use, including at Harvard. The College Board, a nonprofit established in 1899 to standardize college admissions, administered the first SAT in 1926; Harvard later adopted it first for scholarship selection and then for all applicants. The exam became the standard college admissions test in the 1940s.
At its debut, SAT stood for “Scholastic Aptitude Test.” The first version contained 315 mostly multiple-choice questions across nine sub-tests, covering areas including math, reading, logic, and analogies. Harvard education professor Andrew Ho describes the test’s influence as depending not simply on the assessment itself, but on who used it and for what purpose.
Harvard President James Bryant Conant and assistant dean and scholarship director Henry Chauncey were early proponents. In 1934, Chauncey presented the test to Conant as a way to identify qualified scholarship students. Ho said Conant saw potential to search for talent across the United States, beyond boys at prep schools.
What changed in the SAT over 100 years?
The SAT’s content, scoring, and positioning have all changed. A major pre-21st-century shift came in 1995, when the College Board recentered scores to better reflect student averages as the test expanded. That year also introduced open-ended math questions, intended to emphasize problem-solving rather than guessing.
Ho characterized later changes in the 2010s as especially consequential. The test was redesigned and marketed more explicitly as a measure of college and career readiness, with greater emphasis on material students learn in high school rather than puzzles, games, and vocabulary-focused questions. Technology also enabled formats including short answers and essays over recent decades, according to Ho.
Yet the central question surrounding the assessment has endured: whether a single test can fairly measure academic capability. Test preparation was already a growing business for affluent families by 1938, challenging claims that the exam could not be coached.
What the SAT’s history means for students and applicants
For applicants, the SAT is one element of a broader admissions review, not a complete account of ability. Ho describes admissions evaluation as a “five-legged stool” comprising grades, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendation letters, and SAT or ACT scores. His point is that each measure can reflect unequal access to educational opportunities.
The equity debate is especially relevant to students at less-resourced high schools. Opportunity Insights research cited by college administrators found that, despite socioeconomic gaps in scores, standardized tests can help identify promising students at those schools. Harvard was test-optional through much of the COVID-19 pandemic but reversed that policy in 2024.
Raj Chetty, director of Opportunity Insights, said recommendation letters, extracurricular activities, and essays can be even more susceptible to bias than standardized scores. Ho likewise argues that excluding existing test scores can create inequality rather than reduce it. At the same time, he emphasizes that scores reflect educational opportunity at a particular point in time and should be understood as only one of several measures.
FAQ
When was the first SAT administered?
The first SAT was administered on June 23, 1926, to more than 8,000 candidates. The exam was initially called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and consisted of 315 mostly multiple-choice questions across nine sub-tests.
Is the SAT the only factor colleges use in admissions?
No. The SAT is one part of a broader review that can also include grades, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendation letters. Harvard researcher Andrew Ho calls these five elements a “five-legged stool,” while stressing that every component can raise questions about fairness and access.
