24/06/2026
Did you know?
About studying in the United States of America.
100 years ago, on June 23, 2026, about 8,000 high school students across the United States took the first Scholastic Aptitude Test, known today as the SAT.
Today, that test looked very different and about 2 million high school students now take each year.
Also, the content of the SAT evolved over time.
If initially the test had been modeled after the Army’s IQ test and intended to evaluate students’ intelligence for admission to elite colleges, starting with the year 1994, it was added math questions that required students to write in their own answer rather than selecting one of several choices. At the same time, changes were made to eliminate mechanical memorization.
The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is not the only college admissions test in the USA.
A ,,rival" college admissions test emerged in 1959, the American College Test, now known as the ACT.
Unlike the SAT, which measures students' intelligence for admission to elite colleges, the ACT assesses mastery of high school-level concepts for admission to a broader range of colleges.
The two tests now have similar reputations and can be used for admission to a wide range of colleges.
As the SAT nears its 100th anniversary, here's a look at how the test has changed since 1926 and how scores on both the SAT and ACT have shifted over time.
