SAT Validity Research
The SAT has long been shown to be a strong predictor of student success beyond high school GPA alone. The most recent U.S. National SAT Validity Study showed:
The SAT is strongly predictive of college success; students with higher SAT scores are more likely to have higher grades in college.
Using the SAT in conjunction with high school GPA (HSGPA) is the most powerful way to predict future academic performance.
The SAT is useful beyond admissions; data show that SAT scores are important predictors of student retention to the second year.
Colleges can use SAT scores to identify students who may need academic support before they start college and throughout their college education.
In addition to U.S. focused validity studies, recent work highlights the predictive value of the SAT for understanding student readiness in English coursework and for enrollment of international students in U.S. colleges and universities.
Understanding the SAT and Readiness for English Coursework
This study examines the validity of SAT Reading and Writing section scores and high school grade point average (GPA) for predicting the first-year college performance of international students attending U.S. institutions, specifically in first-semester and first-year English and writing college coursework, as well as all college coursework outside of math.
Key findings include:
The SAT Reading and Writing section score is a powerful measure to assist institutions in understanding how an international student is likely to perform in coursework taught in English during the first semester and first year of college in the U.S.
Student performance by SAT Reading and Writing section score bands showed clear positive relationships for all outcomes analyzed, indicating that stronger SAT Reading and Writing section scores are associated with stronger college performance.
All analyses for international students whose first language or best language was not English follow the same findings and patterns as the overall sample of international students examined.
Read the full study here: https://research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/Value-of-SAT-Scores-in-Evaluating-International-Student-Readiness.pdf
SAT Validity for Enrollment: International Students
This study is the first analysis of the validity of the redesigned SAT and high school GPA to predict first-year college performance for international students attending U.S. institutions. The results show that the SAT is not only an independently useful measure for understanding how an international student is likely to perform in U.S. colleges and universities but also provides tremendous additional value beyond high school GPA for this student population.
Results showed that:
For international students attending 4-year institutions in the U.S., SAT scores are strongly predictive of first-year GPA and tend to be more predictive of FYGPA than HSGPA.
On average, SAT scores add 44% more predictive power above grades alone to understand how a student will perform in the first year, compared to 15% in the full national sample.
Across all high school GPA grade points, the SAT proves critical for predicting various levels of student academic performance, helping institutions understand which students have the highest probability of success and which students may need additional support to succeed on campus.
Read the full study here: https://research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/validity-sat-enrollment-related-decisions.pdf
Learn more about College Board validity studies: