Tuesday, April 26, 2011

5 Things I Bet You Didn't Know About the SAT

We thought it'd be fun to throw out a little SAT trivia as students get closer to the final two tests of the school year (5/7 & 6/4).  Here goes...

1.  An Army Brat
In its original form, the test (then known as the "Army Alpha") appeared in 1901 as an IQ test commissioned by the US Army.  It was first administered to college applicants in 1926.  By the end of the 1930s, the SAT was used as a scholarship test for all Ivy League schools.  
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2. Time's Up!
The original test required students to complete 315 questions in 97 minutes in the following areas: definitions, classification, artificial language, antonyms, analogies, logical inference, and paragraph reading, number series and arithmetical problems.  That's about 30 seconds per question.  Yikes! 
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3.  What's in a Name?
"SAT" initially stood for "Scholastic Achievement Test"; in 1941, the name was changed to "Scholastic Aptitude Test."  Today, its full name is "SAT Reasoning Test."  And guess, what?!  "SAT" doesn't stand for anything...it's just "SAT." 
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4.  Classified Information
Before 1958, only high schools and colleges were able to view students’ scores--not the students themselves. 
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5.  A Civil Right
In the early 1960s, College Board officials began visiting testing centers to make sure that all students were being tested under equal conditions. If a school district refused to desegregate, the test center was closed and the tests were given at a local military base. 
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Learn how to A-C-E the SAT at www.InnovativeTestPrep.com!