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by burkaman 1513 days ago
> You can even join without taking the test by having an SAT score above a certain value. Dubious.

I'm sure it's true of many IQ tests, but the SAT is notoriously heavily correlated with wealth. Even if you generously assume that the test itself is not biased (which you shouldn't, it was and still is), that means your score is a function of practice and training, not "raw intelligence" if such a thing exists.

1 comments

There is no evidence that the SAT is a function of practice and training, and a lot of evidence that training has only a small impact on SAT scores.

See, for example: https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/Briggs_Theeffe...

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin_Domingue/publi...

These controlled studies show an impact of something like 10-35 points from coaching and other prep.

I didn't really mean SAT-specific coaching or practice tests, I meant more general practice and training as a result of your education. Like if you grew up in a rich neighborhood, on average you probably had better training on SAT-related skills over your 10 years of school, a better environment to practice those skills, etc.