ABSTRACT
Standardized admissions testing first took root in the US more than 100 years ago, when college applicants were faced with a bewildering array of admissions criteria that varied widely across schools. In an attempt to impose order, the leaders of 12 top northeastern universities established the College Entrance Examination Board in 1900. The College Board created a set of examinations that were administered by the member institutions and then shipped back to the Board for scoring. Initially, the Board developed essay tests in nine subject areas; it later created a new exam that contained mostly multiple-choice questions-the Scholastic Aptitude Test. This precursor to today’s SAT was first administered in 1926 to about 8,000 candidates.
