The correlation between SAT scores and IQ                                                                          Slide Serve

Can Your IQ be Replaced with Your SAT Score?

BY JUSTIN WANG

OCTOBER 16, 2025

     Standardized tests have been a staple in the American education system to measure student performance, college readiness, and intelligence. However, as more students take standardized tests, a debate continues to grow: Are standardized tests a good benchmark of one’s intelligence?

      Some believe that standardized tests provide an objective way to compare students across schools and regions. They say exams like the SAT, which tests on reading and math, and the ACT, which tests students in areas of math, science, reading, and writing, reward their hard work and preparation, allowing colleges to fairly assess applicants from different backgrounds. 

     “I think my score reflected the knowledge I had going into the test, and the work I put in,” said Junior Brianna Zheng, veteran test-taker of the SAT.

     However, others point out that standardized tests often reflect a student’s access to resources and test-taking abilities rather than their actual knowledge on topics. 

     Sophomore Olivia Cantara said, “People who get expensive tutoring and extra help [get] boosted scores, which can sometimes skew the results of these tests.” 

In the end, standardized tests may be the benchmark for one kind of knowledge, but not the full picture of a student’s mind. True intelligence is not only about memorization or test-taking speed, but about curiosity, creativity, and the ability to think deeply about the world. While standardized tests will likely remain part of the education system for years to come, they should be seen as just one piece of a much larger puzzle.