The Scholastic Aptitude Test: A Critical Appraisal

Evidence presented by Warner Slack and Douglas Porter indicates that training for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) can effectively help students to raise their scores, and that the test adds little to a student's high school record in predicting college performance. Their findings are contrary to pronouncements by Educational Testing Service and the College Board. The authors argue that students who believed they did not have to prepare for the SAT, as well as those who have had limited opportunities for preparation, may have been needlessly deprived of admission to the college of their choice. More importantly, Slack and Porter contend that students who accept the SAT as a measure of aptitude may suffer a loss of self-esteem by interpreting low scores as an indication of their own deficiencies. They conclude that their findings raise serious doubts about the fairness of the test, its validity as a measure of academic potential, and its use as a prerequisite for admission to college.