Understand the SAT

The SAT is an exam that measures the skills and knowledge that students are learning in school and that matter most for college and career readiness.

For nearly a century, the SAT has been used successfully worldwide, in combination with factors such as high school grade point average (HSGPA), to assess student preparedness for and to predict student success in postsecondary education. In the graduating class of 2024, over 2 million test takers took the SAT, the results of which were used by thousands of high school educators and postsecondary admission officers around the world.

Since its launch in 1926, the SAT has been used to help millions of students connect with college success. The College Board’s goal is to ensure that all students we serve have access to resources that can help them prepare for, and make, a successful transition to college.