Editing SAT (section)

=== Preparation ===
Pioneered by [[Stanley Kaplan]] in 1946 with a 64-hour course,<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaplan|first=Stanley|url=https://archive.org/details/stanleyhkaplante00stan/page/30|title=Test Pilot: How I Broke Testing Barriers for Millions of Students and Caused a Sonic Boom in the Business of Education|date=2001|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0743201681|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stanleyhkaplante00stan/page/30 30–33]}}</ref> SAT [[test preparation|preparation]] has become a highly lucrative field.<ref>{{cite web|author=Research and Markets ltd|title=2009 Worldwide Exam Preparation & Tutoring Industry Report|url=http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/682204/2009_worldwide_exam_preparation_and_tutoring|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702155723/http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/682204/2009_worldwide_exam_preparation_and_tutoring|archive-date=July 2, 2010|access-date=June 12, 2009|website=researchandmarkets.com}}</ref> Many companies and organizations offer test preparation in the form of books, classes, online courses, and tutoring.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/can-a-free-sat-prep-class-ever-be-as-good-as-pricey-in-person-ones/2016/11/09/c3a6e3ac-875e-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html |title=Can a free SAT prep class ever be as good as pricey in-person ones? |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Gross |first=Natalie |date=November 10, 2016 |access-date=August 25, 2021 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125045750/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/can-a-free-sat-prep-class-ever-be-as-good-as-pricey-in-person-ones/2016/11/09/c3a6e3ac-875e-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The test preparation industry began almost simultaneously with the introduction of university entrance exams in the U.S. and flourished from the start.<ref name="Montgomery and Lilly 2012">{{cite journal|last1=Montgomery|first1=Paul|last2=Lilly|first2=Jane|year=2012|title=Systematic Reviews of the Effects of Preparatory Courses on University Entrance Examinations in High School-Age Students|journal=International Journal of Social Welfare|volume=21|issue=1|pages=3–12|doi=10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00812.x}}</ref> Test-preparation scams are a genuine problem for parents and students.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Carlton|first=Sue|date=March 31, 2021|title=Make sure that SAT test-prep service for your high-schooler isn't a scam|work=Tampa Bay Times|department=Crime|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2021/03/31/make-sure-that-sat-test-prep-service-for-your-high-schooler-isnt-a-scam/|access-date=August 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827001655/https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2021/03/31/make-sure-that-sat-test-prep-service-for-your-high-schooler-isnt-a-scam/|archive-date=August 27, 2021}}</ref> In general, East Asian Americans, especially [[Korean Americans]], are the most likely to take private SAT preparation courses while [[African Americans]] typically rely more one-on-one tutoring for [[Remedial education|remedial learning]].<ref name="Byun-2011">{{Cite journal|last1=Byun|first1=Soo-yong|last2=Park|first2=Hyunjoon|date=July 29, 2011|title=The Academic Success of East Asian American Youth: The Role of Shadow Education|journal=Sociology of Education|volume=85|issue=1|pages=40–60|doi=10.1177/0038040711417009|pmid=24163483|pmc=3806291}}</ref>

Nevertheless, the College Board maintains that the SAT is essentially uncoachable and research by the College Board and the National Association of College Admission Counseling suggests that tutoring courses result in an average increase of about 20 points on the math section and 10 points on the verbal section.<ref>{{cite web|author=Allen Grove|title=SAT Prep – Are SAT Prep Courses Worth the Cost?|url=http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/SAT-test-prep.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707074953/http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/SAT-test-prep.htm|archive-date=July 7, 2011|access-date=November 27, 2010|website=About.com Education}}</ref> Indeed, researchers have shown time and again that preparation courses tend to offer at best a modest boost to test scores.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Becker|first=Betsy Jane|date=Autumn 1990|title=Coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test: Further Synthesis and Appraisal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170759|journal=Review of Educational Research|publisher=American Educational Research Association|volume=90|issue=3|pages=373–417|doi=10.3102/00346543060003373 |jstor=1170759|access-date=October 28, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028173541/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170759|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Powers|first1=Donald E.|last2=Rock|first2=Donald A.|date=Summer 1999|title=Effects of Coaching on SAT I: Reasoning Test Scores|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1435274|journal=Journal of Educational Measurement|publisher=National Council on Measurement in Education|volume=36|issue=2|pages=93–118|doi=10.1111/j.1745-3984.1999.tb00549.x|jstor=1435274|access-date=October 28, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028164610/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1435274|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wai-2019" /> Like IQ scores, which are a strong correlate, SAT scores tend to be stable over time, meaning SAT preparation courses offer only a limited advantage.<ref name="Hambrick-2011" /> An early meta-analysis (from 1983) found similar results and noted "the size of the coaching effect estimated from the matched or randomized studies (10 points) seems too small to be practically important."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=DerSimonian|first1=Rebecca|last2=Laird|first2=Nan|date=April 1983|title=Evaluating the Effect of Coaching on SAT Scores: A Meta-Analysis|journal=Harvard Educational Review|volume=53|issue=1|pages=1–15|doi=10.17763/haer.53.1.n06j5h5356217648}}</ref> Statisticians Ben Domingue and Derek C. Briggs examined data from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 and found that the effects of coaching were only statistically significant for mathematics; moreover, coaching had a greater effect on certain students than others, especially those who have taken rigorous courses and those of high socioeconomic status.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Domigue|first1=Ben|last2=Briggs|first2=Derek C.|date=2009|title=Using Linear Regression and Propensity Score Matching to Estimate the Effect of Coaching on the SAT|url=https://cepa.stanford.edu/content/using-linear-regression-and-propensity-score-matching-estimate-effect-coaching-sat|journal=Multiple Linear Regression Viewpoints|volume=35|issue=1|pages=12–29|via=|access-date=January 31, 2021|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604031706/https://cepa.stanford.edu/content/using-linear-regression-and-propensity-score-matching-estimate-effect-coaching-sat|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2012 [[systematic reviews|systematic literature review]] estimated a coaching effect of 23 and 32 points for the math and verbal tests, respectively.<ref name="Montgomery and Lilly 2012" /> A 2016 meta-analysis estimated the effect size to be 0.09 and 0.16 for the verbal and math sections respectively, although there was a large degree of heterogeneity.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Becker|first1=Betsy Jane|date=June 30, 2016|title=Coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test: Further Synthesis and Appraisal|journal=Review of Educational Research|volume=60|issue=3|pages=373–417|doi=10.3102/00346543060003373|s2cid=146476197}}</ref> Meanwhile, a 2011 study found that the effects of one-on-one tutoring to be minimal among all ethnic groups.<ref name="Byun-2011"/> Public misunderstanding of how to prepare for the SAT continues to be exploited by the preparation industry.<ref name="Frey-2019" />

While there is a link between family background and taking an SAT preparation course, not all students benefit equally from such an investment. In fact, any average gains in SAT scores due to such courses are primarily due to improvements among East Asian Americans.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Park|first1=Julie J.|last2=Ann H.|first2=Becks|date=Fall 2015|title=Who Benefits from SAT Prep?: An Examination of High School Context and Race/Ethnicity|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/592485/pdf|journal=Review of Higher Education|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|volume=39|issue=1|pages=1–23|doi=10.1353/rhe.2015.0038|s2cid=145649282|access-date=January 5, 2022|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909204506/https://muse.jhu.edu/article/592485/pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> When this group is broken down even further, Korean Americans are more likely to take SAT prep courses than [[Chinese Americans]], taking full advantage of their Church communities and ethnic economy.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Park|first=Julie J.|date=August 1, 2012|title=It Takes a Village (or an Ethnic Economy): The Varying Roles of Socioeconomic Status, Religion, and Social Capital in SAT Preparation for Chinese and Korean American Students|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0002831211425609|journal=American Educational Research Journal|volume=49|issue=4|pages=624–650|doi=10.3102/0002831211425609|s2cid=143887760|access-date=January 5, 2022|archive-date=January 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105172210/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0002831211425609|url-status=live}}</ref>

The College Board announced a partnership with the non-profit organization Khan Academy to offer free test-preparation materials starting in the 2015–16 academic year to help level the playing field for students from low-income families.<ref name="Balf-2014">{{Cite news |last=Balf |first=Todd |date=March 5, 2014 |title=The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/the-story-behind-the-sat-overhaul.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616181810/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/the-story-behind-the-sat-overhaul.html |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Anderson-2015" /> Students may also bypass costly preparation programs using the more affordable official guide from the College Board and with solid studying habits.<ref name="Shellenbarger-2009">{{Cite news|last=Shellenbarger|first=Sue|date=May 27, 2009|title=High-School Senior: I Took the SAT Again After 41 Years|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124337711110856009|url-status=live|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125203105/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124337711110856009|archive-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>

The College Board also offers a test called the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test ([[PSAT/NMSQT]]), and there is some evidence that taking the PSAT at least once can help students do better on the SAT;<ref>{{Cite news|last=Goldfarb|first=Zachary A.|date=March 5, 2014|title=These four charts show how the SAT favors rich, educated families|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/03/05/these-four-charts-show-how-the-sat-favors-the-rich-educated-families/|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216175125/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/03/05/these-four-charts-show-how-the-sat-favors-the-rich-educated-families/|archive-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref> moreover, like the case for the SAT, top scorers on the PSAT could earn scholarships.<ref name="Quilantan-2021" /> According to cognitive scientist [[Sian Beilock]], 'choking', or substandard performance on important occasions, such as taking the SAT, can be prevented by doing plenty of practice questions and proctored exams to improve [[procedural memory]], making use of the booklet to write down intermediate steps to avoid overloading working memory, and writing a diary entry about one's anxieties on the day of the exam to enhance self-empathy and positive self-image.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Steiner|first=Matty|date=August 22, 2014|title=Neuroscience and College Admission Tests|work=Compass|url=https://www.compassprep.com/neuroscience-and-college-admission-tests/|access-date=August 26, 2021|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827002539/https://www.compassprep.com/neuroscience-and-college-admission-tests/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sleep hygiene]] is important as the quality of sleep during the days leading to the exam can improve performance. Moreover, it has been shown that later class times (8:30 am rather than 7:30am), which better suits the shifted circadian rhythm of teenagers, can raise SAT scores enough to change the tier of the colleges and universities student might be admitted to.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Matthew |title=Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams |title-link=Why We Sleep |publisher=Schribner |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-5011-4432-5 |location=New York |pages=310–11 |chapter=Chapter 15: Sleep and Society |author-link=Matthew Walker (scientist)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Budson |first1=Andrew |title=Why We Forget and How to Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory |last2=Kensinger |first2=Elizabeth |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-0-197-60773-2 |location=New York |pages=274 |chapter=20: Sleep |author-link=Andrew E. Budson |author-link2=Elizabeth Kensinger}}</ref>

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of American colleges and universities decided to make standardized test scores [[SAT#Optional SAT|optional]] for prospective students. Nevertheless, many students still chose to take the SAT and to enroll in preparation programs, which continued to be profitable.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Becker |first=Sam |date=April 17, 2024 |title=During test-optional college admissions, exam-prep companies still thrived |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240416-test-optional-college-admissions-exam-prep-companies |access-date=April 17, 2024 |work=BBC News |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417145457/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240416-test-optional-college-admissions-exam-prep-companies |url-status=live }}</ref>