What If The SAT and ACT Were Never Created?

The Actual History

The history of standardized college admissions testing in America dates back to the early 20th century, emerging from a confluence of social and educational changes that transformed higher education. Prior to this period, college admissions were largely dependent on personal connections, family wealth, and educational privilege. Access to elite institutions was primarily reserved for the upper classes, with admission often contingent on graduating from select preparatory schools or demonstrating proficiency in classical subjects.

The College Entrance Examination Board (now known as the College Board) was founded in 1900 by a consortium of 12 universities and three preparatory schools. Their initial goal was to standardize the admissions process among elite Northeastern colleges with a series of essay tests in subjects like Latin, Greek, French, German, mathematics, chemistry, and physics. These tests were administered to approximately 1,000 examinees across the country in June 1901.

The real breakthrough came in 1926 when the College Board introduced the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), developed by psychologist Carl Campbell Brigham, who had worked on Army intelligence testing during World War I. The first SAT consisted of 315 questions testing vocabulary and basic mathematics, designed to be completed in 90 minutes. Unlike previous subject-specific exams, the SAT purported to measure innate intelligence or aptitude rather than learned knowledge.

Initially, the SAT remained a relatively minor component of college admissions until 1933, when Harvard President James Bryant Conant sought a mechanism to identify academically talented students from beyond the traditional preparatory schools. Under Conant's influence, Harvard began using the SAT to award scholarships to students regardless of background. By 1938, all College Board member schools had adopted the SAT, and by 1942, the test had become the standard assessment for all college applicants.

Meanwhile, in 1959, Everett Franklin Lindquist at the University of Iowa developed the American College Testing (ACT) program as an alternative to the SAT. The ACT was designed to measure achievement rather than aptitude, focusing on what students had learned in high school across English, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences. This test gained popularity particularly in the Midwest and South.

Both tests underwent significant evolution over decades. The SAT revised its format multiple times, including major overhauls in 1994, 2005, and 2016. The content shifted from its original focus on abstract reasoning to align more closely with high school curricula and college readiness. Similarly, the ACT adjusted its content and structure over time, adding a science reasoning section and an optional writing component.

By the early 21st century, these standardized tests had become a nearly universal component of American college admissions. At their peak in the 2010s, over 2 million students took the SAT annually, and a similar number took the ACT. The tests became a multi-billion-dollar industry encompassing the official testing organizations, test preparation companies, tutoring services, and study materials.

However, the tests also faced mounting criticism. Research consistently demonstrated correlations between test scores and socioeconomic status, raising concerns about whether the tests reinforced existing inequalities rather than promoting meritocracy. Critics argued that the tests favored students with access to expensive test preparation resources and failed to predict college success better than high school grades.

These criticisms gained momentum in the early 2020s, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted test administration and prompted many colleges to implement test-optional policies. By 2025, many institutions had either permanently adopted test-optional practices or significantly reduced the weight of standardized tests in admissions decisions, though the SAT and ACT remain influential components of the American educational landscape.

The Point of Divergence

What if the SAT and ACT were never created? In this alternate timeline, we explore a scenario where standardized college entrance exams never became a cornerstone of American higher education.

The divergence could have occurred in several plausible ways:

One possibility centers on Carl Campbell Brigham, the psychologist whose work on Army intelligence testing during World War I led to the creation of the SAT. What if Brigham had drawn different conclusions from his military testing experience? In our timeline, Brigham initially embraced the hereditarian interpretation of intelligence testing, even publishing a book in 1923 supporting racial differences in intelligence, before later recanting these views. In this alternate timeline, perhaps Brigham might have more quickly recognized the cultural biases in early intelligence tests and devoted his career to criticizing rather than advancing standardized testing.

Alternatively, the divergence might have occurred at an institutional level. Harvard President James Bryant Conant was instrumental in popularizing the SAT when he championed its use for scholarship selection in 1933. Without Conant's influential endorsement, the SAT might have remained a niche assessment rather than becoming the standard for college admissions. Perhaps in this alternate timeline, Conant instead embraced a different approach to identifying talent – such as evaluating student projects, essays, or recommendations – setting higher education on an entirely different path.

A third possibility involves the broader historical context of American education. The mid-20th century saw intense competition with the Soviet Union, particularly after the 1957 Sputnik launch, which fueled American anxiety about educational standards and measurement. In our alternate timeline, perhaps a different response to these pressures emerged – one that favored creative problem-solving and project-based assessment over standardized multiple-choice testing.

Finally, the educational progressivism of John Dewey and his contemporaries might have prevailed more completely over the efficiency-focused administrative progressives who favored standardization and quantitative measurement. If Dewey's emphasis on experiential learning and holistic education had more thoroughly shaped American educational policies in the early 20th century, standardized entrance exams might never have gained traction.

In this alternate timeline, while some forms of assessment would inevitably have emerged to help colleges manage growing applicant pools, the absence of nationally standardized aptitude tests would have profoundly altered the landscape of American education, college admissions, and conceptions of merit and opportunity.

Immediate Aftermath

College Admissions in the Early-to-Mid 20th Century

Without the SAT as a standardizing force, college admissions in the 1930s through 1950s would have developed along significantly different lines. Elite institutions would have continued to rely more heavily on their existing networks of feeder schools, maintaining close relationships with specific preparatory academies that consistently produced well-prepared students.

Harvard, without James Bryant Conant's SAT-based scholarship program, might have developed alternative methods to identify promising students from diverse backgrounds. Perhaps regional academic competitions, more rigorous subject-specific entrance examinations, or expanded interview processes would have emerged. Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy League schools might have established their own distinctive evaluation systems, leading to greater variation in admissions criteria across institutions.

Public universities would likely have developed state-specific entrance requirements closely aligned with their state's high school curriculum. The University of California system, for example, might have created a comprehensive subject mastery examination system tied directly to California's secondary education standards.

Implications for Secondary Education

Without the pressure to prepare students for the SAT or ACT, American high schools in the 1940s and 1950s would have developed more diverse curricula and assessment approaches. Local and regional educational traditions would have retained greater influence, resulting in more pronounced variation across states and regions.

The absence of standardized college entrance exams would have altered guidance counseling practices. Instead of advising students on test preparation strategies, high school counselors might have focused more on helping students develop portfolios of work, identify institutions aligned with their specific strengths, and prepare for institution-specific entrance requirements.

This environment would have preserved greater autonomy for secondary educators but might have made it more challenging for students to understand the expectations of different colleges or to prepare simultaneously for multiple institutions with divergent requirements.

The G.I. Bill and Post-War College Access

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the G.I. Bill) created unprecedented demand for higher education. In our timeline, standardized tests helped institutions manage this surge in applicants. Without these tests, colleges would have needed alternative mechanisms to evaluate the flood of returning veterans.

This might have led to the development of more regionally standardized subject exams or more extensive reliance on probationary admission followed by performance evaluation. Community colleges might have gained even greater prominence as proving grounds where students could demonstrate their capabilities before transferring to four-year institutions.

The absence of a single national metric would have made it more difficult to compare applicants from different regions or educational backgrounds. This challenge might have prompted universities to develop more holistic evaluation processes decades earlier than they did in our timeline, potentially reducing some barriers for applicants from non-traditional backgrounds while raising others.

The Cold War and Educational Assessment

The launch of Sputnik in 1957, which sparked American concerns about falling behind the Soviet Union in science and mathematics, would still have prompted calls for educational reform. However, without established standardized testing infrastructure, these reforms might have taken different directions.

Rather than emphasizing standardized measurement, reforms might have focused more explicitly on curriculum development, teacher training, and resource allocation. The National Defense Education Act of 1958 might have directed more funding toward laboratory equipment, research opportunities for high school students, and advanced coursework rather than testing and sorting mechanisms.

This alternative approach could have resulted in more emphasis on depth of understanding and practical application rather than broad but shallow content coverage optimized for multiple-choice testing.

College Board's Different Trajectory

Without the SAT as its flagship product, the College Board would have evolved differently. Founded in 1900 to standardize subject-specific entrance exams, the organization might have continued to focus on developing and administering subject tests rather than aptitude assessments.

These subject tests would likely have evolved to become more accessible and practical while maintaining their connection to specific academic disciplines. The College Board might have become primarily a curriculum development and educational standards organization rather than a testing entity.

In the absence of the ACT as a competitor, regional testing consortia might have emerged to serve different parts of the country, each with approaches tailored to regional educational priorities and college systems.

Long-term Impact

The Evolution of College Admissions Through the Late 20th Century

Without standardized aptitude tests, the expansion of higher education in the 1960s and 1970s would have unfolded differently. As baby boomers reached college age and college participation rates increased dramatically, institutions would have needed efficient ways to evaluate growing applicant pools.

Development of Alternative Assessment Systems

By the 1970s, we might have seen the emergence of several parallel assessment approaches:

Regional Assessment Consortia: Groups of colleges in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West might have developed collaborative assessments reflecting regional educational priorities.
Subject Mastery Examinations: Discipline-specific tests might have become more prominent, allowing students to demonstrate proficiency in their areas of interest rather than general aptitude.
Portfolio-Based Admissions: Particularly for arts, humanities, and professional programs, evaluation of student work samples might have become standardized earlier and more comprehensively.
Competency-Based Assessment: Practical demonstrations of skills and knowledge might have gained prominence, focusing on what students could do rather than what they knew.

Admissions Timing and Structure

Without standardized tests providing quick comparative data, the college application process might have involved more stages and longer timeframes. Early screening might have been followed by more intensive evaluation of promising candidates, including interviews, additional testing, or probationary admission periods.

The Common Application, which in our timeline simplified applying to multiple institutions, might have emerged earlier out of necessity, standardizing how information was collected if not how it was evaluated.

Impact on Educational Equity and Access

The absence of the SAT and ACT would have fundamentally altered debates about meritocracy and opportunity in American education.

Persistent Regional and Institutional Variation

Without national standardized metrics, regional educational differences would likely have remained more pronounced. Students from less renowned high schools or regions might have faced greater challenges in demonstrating their qualifications to distant institutions.

Conversely, the absence of test score cutoffs might have prevented the automatic exclusion of students with unconventional educational backgrounds or specific learning differences that affect standardized test performance.

Different Forms of Inequality

While the socioeconomic disparities associated with test preparation would never have emerged, other forms of advantage would likely have persisted or become more significant:

Access to schools with strong college counseling departments
Opportunities for distinctive extracurricular achievements
Ability to create impressive portfolios or projects
Personal connections to educational institutions
Geographic proximity to preferred colleges

The Emergence of Different Educational Indicators

In place of test scores as shorthand for academic potential, other metrics would have gained prominence. High school GPA would likely have remained important, but might have been supplemented by more specific indicators:

Advanced coursework completion
Subject-specific achievements
Project-based assessments
Teacher recommendations
Evidence of personal initiative

Technological and Global Influences Since the 1990s

As computing and the internet transformed education in the 1990s and 2000s, assessment approaches would have evolved accordingly.

Digital Portfolio Systems

Rather than investing in computer-adaptive testing (as the College Board did with the SAT), educational technology might have focused earlier on developing sophisticated digital portfolio platforms allowing students to showcase their work, thinking processes, and development over time.

Global Educational Comparisons

Without the SAT and ACT as reference points, American educational debates might have engaged more directly with diverse international assessment models:

The subject-focused British A-level system
Germany's dual education approach combining academic and vocational training
Nordic models emphasizing project-based learning and student autonomy
East Asian examination systems focused on demonstrating mastery of specific content

This broader perspective might have led to more fundamental questioning of American educational assumptions rather than debates focused narrowly on improving or replacing specific tests.

Higher Education Structure in the 21st Century

The absence of standardized testing would have significantly influenced how higher education evolved into the 21st century.

Institutional Diversity and Specialization

Without test scores providing an easy basis for institutional comparison and ranking, colleges and universities might have developed more distinctive identities based on educational philosophy, pedagogical approach, or areas of specialization.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings, which heavily weighted standardized test scores in our timeline, might have either used very different metrics or never gained the same influence, allowing for greater institutional diversity rather than convergence around a single model of prestige.

Different Conceptions of Merit

The concept of academic merit might have remained more pluralistic and contextual rather than becoming closely associated with performance on a single type of assessment. This could have fostered greater appreciation for diverse forms of intelligence and capability.

Admissions might have more explicitly valued qualities difficult to capture in standardized formats: creativity, persistence, practical problem-solving, ethical reasoning, or interpersonal skills.

Educational Technology Development

Educational technology development would have followed different priorities. Rather than computer-adaptive testing and automated scoring, greater investment might have gone toward systems that could:

Track student development across multiple dimensions
Document the process of learning, not just outcomes
Facilitate authentic assessment of complex performances
Enable meaningful comparison of qualitatively different student work

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in 2020, the response in this alternate timeline would have differed significantly. Rather than debating whether to require tests that suddenly became inaccessible, institutions would have already developed robust alternative evaluation methods.

By 2025, American higher education in this timeline might feature a landscape where:

Regional educational ecosystems connect secondary schools with higher education through aligned expectations and assessment approaches
Technology facilitates sophisticated demonstration and evaluation of student capabilities across multiple dimensions
Institutions maintain distinctive identities and missions rather than converging toward a single model of selectivity and prestige
The college transition process focuses more on matching students with appropriate educational environments than on sorting based on perceived academic potential

Expert Opinions

Dr. Michael Reese, Professor of Educational History at Stanford University, offers this perspective: "The standardized testing movement represented a particular American approach to the challenge of educational democracy—using superficially objective measures to manage increasing demand for limited educational opportunities. Without the SAT and ACT, I believe we would have seen greater regional variation in educational systems and a more varied conception of educational excellence. The absence of these tests wouldn't have eliminated educational inequality, but it would have forced us to confront more directly questions about what we value in education and how we recognize potential in young people. The resulting conversations might have been messier, but potentially more honest and productive."

Dr. Jasmine Washington, Director of the Center for Assessment Innovation, argues: "In a world without the SAT and ACT, I believe American education would have developed more sophisticated, multi-dimensional approaches to educational assessment much earlier. The convenience of standardized multiple-choice testing allowed us to avoid the harder work of defining and measuring what really matters in education. Without these tests serving as gatekeepers, colleges and universities would have been forced to articulate more clearly what they were looking for in students and to develop more authentic ways to identify those qualities. While this might have initially preserved some traditional barriers to access, I believe it would ultimately have led to a more genuinely meritocratic system that recognized diverse forms of talent and potential."

Professor Robert Chen, comparative education scholar at the University of Michigan, provides this insight: "When we look globally, we see that different educational systems have developed different approaches to the secondary-to-university transition. Without the SAT and ACT, I believe the United States would have developed a more hybridized system drawing elements from various international models—perhaps combining subject-specific examinations like those in the UK, portfolio assessments common in parts of Scandinavia, and the interview-based approaches used at some European universities. This might have positioned American higher education to adapt more flexibly to 21st century needs, as it wouldn't have been locked into a particular assessment paradigm established in the early-to-mid 20th century."