A Validation Review of the SAT and ACT for College and University Admissions Decisions

In response to a call for research on using the SATs and ACTs for U.S.-based college and university admissions, researchers systematically interrogated the literature surrounding both tests, using a framework for validity evidence built upon the Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing and Kane’s contemporary view of validity. Authors of the 72 peer-reviewed articles selected for this review provided mixed validity evidence. Results indicated that both tests are psychometrically strong. However, when they are put into practice, especially when important decisions are to be made using test output, the validity of the decisions derived using SAT and ACT output is, especially for students from racial minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, at issue.