[MayorMonty]

(For perspective, I'm still in High School, and have scored pretty well on the SAT)

I think what a lot of people fail to realize is that the SAT being based on Aptitude is intentional. Doing well on the SAT means knowing how to study for the SAT (with an advantage given to those who do well in school). That's what the test is measuring, your ability to study.

[ledauphin]

yes and no. anecdotally, I did quite well on the SAT and never did a minute of study for it.

it is certainly possible to study for it, but it is also possible to just be naturally very good at standardized testing.

[MayorMonty]

Yes, and those who are naturally good at standardized testing (such as myself) have an advantage on the SAT, which is one of its issues. But as far as College Board is concerned, the actual content is largely irrelevant.

SAT Math does not test number sense or ability to reason with abstsactions, instead how effective you are at applying a specific set of memorized rules.

SAT ERW does test comprehension, but only in a very specific context. The College Board specifically chooses passages that are meant to be boring, so the reader skims them. SAT Reading is mostly about the grit of paying attention to detail.

SAT Writing, of course is about applying specific prescriptivist grammar rulesets (no singular they comes to mind)

Fundamentally, SAT is designed to be a test of attention to detail and studying, not content mastery. Schools will look at transcripts, AP Tests, or SAT Subject Tests to determine that.