History of College Board in Timeline

The College Board is a U.S.-based non-profit, established in 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board. Its primary goal is to expand access to higher education. It functions as a membership association comprising over 6,000 educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities. The College Board is not a college association but rather an organization of institutions.

1905: Publication of New International Encyclopedia

In 1905, text from the New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.) edited by Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; and Colby, F. M., was published in New York: Dodd, Mead and is now in the public domain.

1922: Criticism of the Board Begins

In 1922, criticism of the College Board and its exams began, with a Harvard Alumni Bulletin article by prep school teacher Morgan Barnes. Barnes cited incompetence in grading, excessive focus on exam preparation, and overreliance on exam scores.

1926: First SAT Administration

In 1926, the SAT, a fee-based digital standardized test for college admissions in the United States, was first administered.

1999: Gaston Caperton becomes CEO

In 1999, Gaston Caperton became the CEO of the College Board.

2004: AP Chinese Language and Culture Course and Exam program development

In 2004, Hanban and the College Board collaborated to develop the "AP Chinese Language and Culture Course and Exam" program.

October 2005: Incorrectly Scored Tests

In October 2005, the College Board administered tests that were later discovered to have been incorrectly scored.

2005: Essay Length vs. Score Correlation

In 2005, MIT Writing Director Les Perelman found a high correlation between essay length and score on the new SAT, discovering that longer essays received higher scores, regardless of factual accuracy.

March 2006: Incorrect Test Scoring Discovered

In March 2006, it was discovered that the College Board had incorrectly scored several thousand tests taken in October 2005. The board waited months to respond, and schools still did not have the correct details by late March.

2006: Financial ties with Hanban

Since 2006, the College Board had financial ties with Hanban.

2009: CEO Compensation

In 2009, CEO Caperton received a $1.3 million/year compensation package, exceeding the compensation of the heads of the American Red Cross or Harvard University, and 19 executives were paid more than $300,000 each per year.

2009: Executive Compensation Criticized

In 2009, the Americans for Educational Testing Reform (AETR) criticized the College Board for excessive profits and executive compensation, noting that CEO Gaston Caperton earned $1.3 million, and nineteen executives made over $300,000 per year.

October 2012: David Coleman becomes CEO

In October 2012, David Coleman became the CEO of the College Board, replacing Gaston Caperton.

March 5, 2014: Redesigned SAT Announced

On March 5, 2014, the College Board announced a redesigned version of the SAT to be administered in 2016. The exam reverted to the 1600-point scale, and the essay became optional.

May 13, 2015: New STEM Credential Initiative

On May 13, 2015, the College Board announced a new credential initiative in partnership with Project Lead the Way, aimed at increasing student interest in STEM careers.

2015: Partnership with Khan Academy

In spring 2015, the College Board partnered with Khan Academy to provide free test preparation materials for the redesigned SAT, including a preparation application, practice problems, and step-by-step video solutions.

2016: Redesigned SAT First Administered

In 2016, the redesigned version of the SAT was first administered, featuring a return to the 1600-point scale and an optional essay.

October 2017: International SAT Given in China

In October 2017, an international SAT was given in China, which was later recycled for the August 25, 2018 SAT in America. The PDF file was leaked on the internet before the August 25, 2018 exam.

2017: College Board Surplus

In 2017, the College Board had a $140 million surplus.

August 25, 2018: Recycled SAT Given

On August 25, 2018, the SAT given in America was a recycled October 2017 international SAT given in China, with the leaked PDF file available on the internet before the exam.

2018: Pilot Program for Early AP Test Registration

In 2018, the College Board started a pilot program requiring students to sign up for AP tests in the fall before early-round college decisions were released.

2019: Full Rollout of Early AP Test Registration

In 2019, the College Board officially rolled out the requirement for students to sign up for AP tests in the fall before early-round college decisions were released, drawing criticism due to the cost of tests that may not grant college credit and the $40 fee for not sitting for a test.

March 2020: Test Dates Cancelled Due to COVID-19

In March 2020, the College Board announced the cancellation of several test dates during the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many colleges to temporarily or permanently adopt test-optional or test-blind admissions policies.

May 2020: AP Exam Submission Glitches

In May 2020, glitches prevented some students from submitting their AP exams, forcing them to retake the exams in June.

June 23, 2020: Truinfadores Campaign Launched

On June 23, 2020, the College Board and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises launched a joint public campaign named Truinfadores to guide Spanish-speaking families through the college planning process. The campaign will offer funding to scholarships in the College Board Opportunity Scholarship program, encouraging students to apply for a chance to earn $40,000 towards college tuition for those whose household income is less than $60,000.

October 2020: College Board to terminate financial ties with Hanban

In October 2020, the College Board declared that it would end its financial relationship with Hanban. This decision was made in response to a letter from U.S. senators expressing concerns about the partnership's connection to the Chinese government.

2020: SAT Participation Numbers

In 2020, 2.2 million students took the SAT Suite of Assessment Program.

2020: Alternate AP Testing Format

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board created an alternate form of AP testing. Students took the exams at home in a shortened 45-minute, open-book format. There were reports of disruptions, such as submission issues and general confusion.

2020: Exam fee is around $155

In 2020, the exam fee was approximately $155, adjusted for inflation from an original fee of US$5.

January 19, 2021: SAT Subject Tests Discontinued

On January 19, 2021, the College Board discontinued SAT Subject Tests in the United States, effective immediately.

June 2021: Optional Essay Section Discontinued

After June 2021, the College Board discontinued the optional essay section of the SAT.

September 2021: Charges for Student Information

As of September 2021, the College Board charged $0.50 per name for access to student information. The New York Civil Liberties Union revealed that one customer was JAMRS, a military recruitment program. The College Board and ACT have faced lawsuits, and there is criticism that students are not sufficiently aware their data is being sold.

2021: SAT Suite of Assessment Program Results

In 2021, the SAT Suite of Assessment Program results showed that 1.5 million high school students took the test, compared to 2.2 million students in 2020.

January 25, 2022: SAT to Be Delivered Digitally

On January 25, 2022, the College Board announced that the SAT would be delivered digitally with new features, including a shorter testing period, more relevant topics, and calculators allowed for the entire math section. The College Board also stated that they would be providing students who don't have computers on testing days with devices to address inequities that are associated with student accessibility to technology.

2024: PSATs Transitioned to Bluebook

As of spring of 2024, all PSATs have been transitioned to be taken on the Bluebook exam application.

2024: All SAT and PSAT Transitioned to Digital Only

In spring of 2024, all SAT and PSATs transitioned to digital only and are taken on the Bluebook exam application.

March 2025: AP Exam Cost

As of March 2025, AP exams cost $99, with an additional $40 fee for late orders.

June 2025: SAT Reasoning Registration Fee

As of June 2025, the SAT Reasoning registration fee was $68, with an additional $34 fee for late registrations.

2025: Digital AP Testing Rollout

In 2025, College Board began to roll out digital AP testing via the Bluebook app, with some AP exams being fully digital, others paper-only, or a hybrid. The College Board is transitioning the remaining paper exams to digital.