Standardized testing originated in China in 300 B.C. where candidates for the Chinese Imperial Service had to take competitive exams. These tests covered topics, such as history, music, writing and math, and they took years to complete. Unlike the Chinese, western education initially rejected standardized testing due to the Greco-Roman tradition of open-ended debate and essay writing.
Compulsory education laws enacted during the Industrial Revolution created an influx of students to public schools. The large number of students forced schools to favor tests over essays. In 1933, Harvard University president, James Bryant Conant, founded "a scholarship program for students from modest backgrounds." To apply, students had to take a competitive exam. Conant believed that all colleges should admit students based on intellectual merit, and he argued for national testing in The Atlantic Monthly. He created the SAT with help from his two assistants, Wilbur Bender and Henry Chauncey. In addition to the SAT, there are other standardized tests, such as the ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, PCAT, Bar Exam and ASVAB. The 2001 No Child Left behind act made standardized testing a criteria for school accreditation.
Standardized tests can ask any type of question. Common formats include multiple choice, true or false, short answer and essay questions. A typical score report shows the scores received and the percentiles. A percentile illustrates how well the test taker did in comparison with others. For example, a person scoring in the 94 percentile performed at or above 94 percent of all test takers. Some tests, such as the PSAT and LSAT, show the test taker's answers and the correct responses by them.
Due to grade inflation and curricular differences, a GPA at one school may not equate to a similar GPA at another school. Hence, standardized tests are a uniform way of measuring the knowledge and intellectual ability of all applicants.
The use of standardized testing in college admissions and school accreditation is not without criticism. According to Fair Test, standardized tests do not measure creativity, motivation or drive. Another criticism is they disadvantage students who don't test well. The achievement gap between underrepresented minorities and whites and Asians has led to speculation of a cultural bias.
Companies, such as Kaplan, Testmasters and The Princeton Review, offer prep classes as well as individual tutoring. Most bookstores sell preparation books, which are also available at public libraries. Testing agencies, such as the Educational Testing Services, sell former tests. In the U.S., the SAT is the most popular standardized test, and the College Board states that taking rigorous academic courses is the best way to prepare.