College Board
College Board is an American private nonprofit corporation formed in 1899 to expand access to higher education. College Board is not an association of colleges, however it runs a membership association of institutions, including over 6,000 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. College Board develops and administers several standardized tests including the SAT, PSAT, SAT Subject Tests and Advanced Placement tests. It also develops curricula used by K-12 and post-secondary education institutions to promote college-readiness and as part of the college admissions process.
The PSAT tests focus on preparing younger students for the SAT and also in the case of the PSAT/NMSQT qualification for the National Merit Scholarship program. The SAT and SAT Subject tests focus on High School students preparing to apply for colleges and universities. The SAT is the main test that many students take (or the ACT) for basic admission requirements. The SAT Subject tests build on this to provide additional credentials for the student wanting placement in some of the better schools. The Advance Placement (AP) program is University level courses provided to High School students. High scores from the AP program can enable students admissions to the best schools and in some cases can count for University course credit.
Be sure to check out the other College Board videos on this site for more information on the SAT, SAT Subject tests, and other College Board programs.
SAT
The SAT, owned and published by the College Board, is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college. The current SAT, introduced in 2016, takes 3 hours to finish plus an additional 50 minutes if doing the optional essay. Possible scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining test results from two 800-point sections: Mathematics and Critical reading and Writing. Taking the SAT or its competitor, the ACT, is required for freshman entry to many, but not all, universities in the United States. more…
SAT Subject Tests
Many leading universities in the U.S. require or recommend the SAT Subject Tests. These are hour-long, content-based tests that allow students to show what they know in specific subjects areas where they excel. There are 20 SAT Subject Tests in five general subject areas: Math, History, Science, Literature and Languages. Each Subject Test is an hour long. They are all multiple-choice and scored on a 200–800 scale. Subject Tests test knowledge of subjects on a high school level. The best way to prepare is to take the relevant courses and work hard in them. more…
PSAT/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in the United States. Approximately 3.5 million students take the PSAT/NMSQT each year.
There are three versions of the PSAT. The PSAT 8/9 is designed for high school freshman students and the PSAT 10 for sophomore students. Both can safely be considered “Practice” SAT tests. The PSAT/NMSQT is designed for high school junior students (year 11) and other than the difficulty levels is very similar to the PSAT 10 (given at different times of the year). Students that take the PSAT/NMSQT are automatically screened for the National Merit Scholarship program. more…
Advanced Placement (AP)
The Advanced Placement program is run by the College Board (the makers of the SAT) that allow students to take courses in high school that can earn college credit and/or qualify for more advanced classes to start college. The AP courses and tests cover early college level material and are available in many different subjects. more…
