1. Introduction
Standardized tests are frequently used in the United
States and abroad as a basis for making high-stakes
decisions about educational opportunities, placements,
and diagnoses. One of the most widely used tests for
these purposes is the SAT. Many colleges and universities
in the U.S. use the SAT, usually taken during the
high school years, as a predictor of success in college.
The SAT I is a 3-h examination that measures verbal
comprehension and mathematical thinking skills (also
referred to as reasoning abilities); new in recent years is
an added writing component. A wide variety of studies