In 2021, 1.5 million high school students in the United States took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), down from 2.2 million the year before. The Covid-19 pandemic played a big role in the decision among many schools to cancel the test, and led many to question the role and importance of standardized exams like the SAT and the American College Testing (ACT). Currently, more than 75 percent of colleges don't require students to take the SAT or ACT. That’s an all-time high, with many schools pledging not to return to them. But is that the right move? Supporters of the SAT defend standardized tests because they level the playing field for rich and poor students across the country and provide opportunities for smart, capable individuals from underresourced communities to get into top colleges. Eliminating such tests could increase inequities, they argue, and make it harder for students from less advantaged backgrounds to get an advanced education. Critics of the SAT, however, question the efficacy of standardized tests and their ability to gauge students' intelligence and achievements, arguing that they can be culturally biased and only measure limited academic qualities. They can also enhance disparities between richer and poorer students, they contend, with more affluent ones able to access resources—such as tutors and special classes—to achieve higher scores. Should the SAT be erased? Audio only.