According to FRONTLINE (a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation), the College Board’s first college entrance examinations were held in 1901. The examinations’ format was essays in English, French, German, Latin, Greek, History, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics. The tests were graded by experts in each subject, on a scale of Excellent, Good, Doubtful, Poor, and Very Poor.
Things have certainly changed in hundred years! Now, to get into most four-year colleges and universities, students take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (a registered trademark of the College Board). The SAT includes critical reading, math section and writing section. Scores range from 200 to 800 per section. The SAT is offered seven times per year in the United States and six times at international sites. The test takes 3 hours and 45 minutes and includes three types of questions: (1) multiple choice questions; (2) student produced responses (math only); and (3) essay questions.
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Additionally, the hour-long SAT Subject Tests are available in five general topics: literature, history, math, science and foreign languages. The SAT Subject Tests are offered six times a year in the United States and at international sites. The Subject Tests are generally multiple-choice questions, but some have unique formats.