While exams such as the GRE and the GMAT are quite popular in India – with more than 100 universities and business schools accepting these scores for admissions – the SAT is picking up, Rushi Sheth, vice-president (International), College Board, which administers the exam, told FE during his recent visit to India.
“More than 40 Indian universities now accept the SAT as a standardised test for admissions,” he said. “Even the number of Indian students taking the SAT for admissions to Indian and foreign universities is increasing.”
What is the SAT?
Previously called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and now simply the SAT, it’s an entrance exam used by most American colleges and universities for admissions. It is a multiple-choice, computer-based test created and administered by College Board, and measures a high school student’s readiness for a college or university.
The next SAT will be held on December 7, 2024, for which the registration deadline is November 26. If you miss that, you will have to wait till March 8, 2025 (registration deadline February 21), May 3 (registration April 18), or June 7 (registration May 22).
The SAT score is valid for five years.
Which Indian institutes accept it?
Sheth said that mostly are in the private sector, and include Ashoka University, Azim Premji University, FLAME University, Jagdish Sheth School of Management, KREA University, Manav Rachna, Plaksha University, Shiv Nadar University, Sri Sri University, Srishti School of Art Design and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, and World University of Design, among others.
How many take the SAT?
While Sheth didn’t share how many students in India take the SAT, he said globally the number has been growing. “Over 1.97 million students in the class of 2024 took the SAT at least once, up from 1.91 million in the class of 2023,” he said. “What possibly helped was the SAT turning digital from its pen-and-paper format. Students and testing staff have expressed a preference for the digital format due to its shorter duration and ease of use.”
The SAT had gone digital in March 2023, and since then more than 9 million digital SAT Suite tests have been taken, which includes more than 2.7 million SAT tests and 6.8 million PSAT-related assessments, all conducted through digital platforms.
But you cannot take the digital SAT at home. Sheth said students need to travel to a testing site in person, take the test on a laptop, a school-issued device, or a borrowed device provided by College Board.
Female participation rising
Over the past six cohorts (2019 to 2024), SAT participation trends have shown a gradual increase in the percentage of female test-takers, with performance between male and female candidates remaining largely comparable. Sheth said that in the 2019 cohort, 38% of SAT test-takers, globally, were female, while 62% were male. By the 2020-22 cohorts, the percentage of female test-takers increased to 39%, with male testers making up 61%. In the 2023 cohort, female participation rose to 40%, while male participation was 60%. The most recent data from the 2024 cohort shows that 41% of test-takers were female, and 59% were male.
“This steady increase in female participation highlights a closing gender gap in SAT participation over the years. However, the overall performance of both male and female candidates has remained comparable throughout this period,” he said.