History of Standardized Testing

The first large-scale use of the IQ test in the US was during the World War I (circa 1914-18). The Educational Testing Service (ETS) established in 1948 is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, operating on an annual budget of approximately $900 million.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1994 requires standardized testing in public schools. US Public Law 107-110, known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 further ties public school funding to standardized testing.

The USA educational system judges the academic qualification of applicants on their test results of standardized tests, standardized college and graduate-school entrance tests:

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test, developed in 1926 for college

SSAT - for preparatory school

PSAT/NMSQT - Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

ACT - American College Test

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language

TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication

IELTS - International English Language Testing System

TWE - Test of Written English

TSE - Test of Spoken English

GRE - Graduate Record Examination, for graduate school

GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Test for business school

LSAT - Law School Admission Test for law school

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test

MOAT - for medical school,

DAT - Dental Admission Test

MAT - Miller Analogies Test

PCAT - Pharmacy College Admission Test

HSPT - High School Placement Test for entrance into High School