Chariot Learning
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Our Curriculum
    • Areas Chariot Learning Serves
  • Services
    • SAT & ACT Prep
    • SAT/ACT TestFlip
    • Academic Coaching
    • Subject Tutoring
    • Strategic Reading Club
    • Proctored Practice Tests
    • GRE Prep
    • College Essay Coaching
    • Roots2Words
  • Calendar
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact
October 4, 2015 by Mike Bergin

What Does “SAT” Stand For?

New_SAT_Logo_(vector).svgOne of the ways I know a reporter is working well outside of his or her regular beat is when an article refers to the Scholastic Aptitude Test or, even worse, something like the Student Assessment Test. The former hasn’t been used for decades; the latter doesn’t even exist.

The letters in SAT do not stand for anything.

Back in 1926 when the College Board first administered the test, SAT stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test. Then, many decades of wrangling over what “aptitude” really meant inspired a name change in 1990 to Scholastic Assessment Test. Yet even that seemed too controversial. In 1993, The College Board introduced a name change designed to quell further debate about the test’s true function:

The tests were renamed (and renormed) and the acronym SAT I was introduced, while direct references to the Scholastic Aptitude Test were abandoned. The Board’s admissions testing program now included the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the SAT II: Subject Tests.

Yet, even that was not the final revision. In 2004, the numerals “I” and “II” were dropped. The tests are currently named the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests. When we refer to the SAT, we speak of the SAT Reasoning Test.

Of course, this change impacts the name of the PSAT as well. The proper name of the National Merit Scholarship qualifier is Preliminary SAT.
 
ACTlogoThe ACT followed a similar, though less tortured, path. In 1959, University of Iowa education professor E.F. Lindquist launched what was called the American College Testing Program. For the longest time, this exam was referred to as the American College Test. However, at a certain point, ACT, Inc. stopped using that full name and now simply calls the exam the ACT.
 
The question of what SAT or ACT really stands for comes up all the time, but this article was inspired by a comment by sports writer and public intellectual Gregg Easterbrook. During football season, Easterbrook writes as TMQ, which stands for Tuesday Morning Quarterback. In a recent article, he addresses the issue of meaningless acronyms in public institutions:

In almost every corner of its website, the college is no longer Texas Christian University; it’s just T.C.U. Seeking an Internet-address brand, T.C.U. has followed the lead of KFC, which no longer stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken; it’s just a company named KFC … Contemporary short-attention-span names like KFC are not abbreviations, because the letters don’t stand for anything: We live in an age when not standing for anything is seen as a plus. What should be the term for a string of letters that appears to be an abbreviation yet is not?

I call it a defunct acronym. How about you?

ACT PSAT SAT

Previous articleClass of 2017: Why Should You Take the New SAT?Next article Building Graphical Literacy
Mike Bergin
Tens of thousands of students a year prep for the SAT & ACT through programs Mike Bergin created or organized. After more than 25 years of intensive experience in the education industry, he's done it all as a teacher, tutor, director, curriculum developer, blogger, podcaster, and best-selling author. Mike founded Chariot Learning in 2009 to deliver on the promise of what truly transformative individualized education can and should be.

Helping high schoolers with tests, school, and life is what Chariot Learning is all about. Let us know how we can help you!

Latest Posts

  • Self-Control and Score Outcomes
  • Tests as Equalizers and Predictors of Success
  • Beginner’s Mindset for Advanced Results
  • Make This Your Year of Preparation
  • Who Benefits from Admissions Tests?

What is TestFlip?

Learn about the ultimate in self-directed supplemental SAT/ACT prep, powered by Chariot Learning:

  • Knowledge isn
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Knowledge isn't free. You have to pay attention.
  • Bring a little extra to your day ;)
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Bring a little extra to your day ;)
  • Be stronger than your excuses!
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Be stronger than your excuses!
  • The one thing you can control is your effort.
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    The one thing you can control is your effort.
  • The depth of your struggle determines the height of your success.
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    The depth of your struggle determines the height of your success.
  • Consistency for the work week. Intensity for the weekend!
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Consistency for the work week. Intensity for the weekend!
  • Believe in yourself, champ.
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Believe in yourself, champ.
  • Decide your habits well. Your habits decide your future.
    by chariotlearning 6 months ago
    Decide your habits well. Your habits decide your future.

Subscribe to Mike’s Podcast

Subscribe to Tests and the Rest

PARENT GROUP AND NEWSLETTER

Are you an Upstate New York parent with questions about college admissions, testing, and scholarships? The Upstate NY College Conversations Facebook group is for you. Join today!

And also sign up for College Road, our free email newsletter delivering expert educational advice, test news, admissions action steps, special offers, and more.

Testimonials

We highly recommend... We considered classroom instruction given by national programs, but having one-on-one instruction, on our schedule, in our home, with the focus on areas and skills critical to our daughter’s success was important to us. Teaming up with Chariot Learning was definitely the right decision for our daughter and my family.

Eileen, Rochester mom

Read more testimonials...

PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is the ultimate college admissions industry podcast. Join Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley every Tuesday and Friday as they discuss the latest issues in testing, admissions, learning, and education with leading experts.
© 2023 Chariot Learning, LLC. All rights reserved.