History of College Board in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 2, 2026

The College Board is a U.S. based, not-for-profit organization founded in 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board. Its mission is to expand access to higher education. The College Board operates as a membership association comprising over 6,000 educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities.

1905: Text from New International Encyclopedia

In 1905, this article incorporated text from a publication now in the public domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.

1922: Criticism of College Board begins

In 1922, Harvard Alumni Bulletin published an article from prep school teacher Morgan Barnes criticizing grading incompetence, excessive focus on exam preparation in classrooms, and overreliance on exam scores in college admissions.

1926: First Administration of the SAT

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

1999: Gaston Caperton becomes CEO of the College Board

In 1999, Gaston Caperton became the CEO of the College Board, a position he held until he was replaced by David Coleman.

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

In 2004, Hanban and the College Board developed 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: Les Perelman's study on SAT essay length

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

March 2006: Discovery of incorrect SAT scoring

In March 2006, the College Board discovered that it had incorrectly scored several thousand SAT tests taken in October 2005.

2006: Financial ties in place with Hanban

Since 2006, the College Board had financial ties in place with Hanban, before announcing its intention to terminate these ties in October 2020.

2009: Gaston Caperton's compensation in 2009

In 2009, CEO Gaston Caperton earned $1.3 million including deferred compensation, leading to criticism of the College Board for violating its non-profit status through excessive profits and exorbitant executive compensation.

2009: Caperton's compensation package

In 2009, the College Board paid out a $1.3 million per year compensation package for CEO Caperton.

October 2012: David Coleman becomes CEO of the College Board

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

March 5, 2014: College Board announces redesign of the SAT

On March 5, 2014, the College Board announced a redesigned version of the SAT to be administered in 2016, reverting to the 1600-point scale and making the essay optional. They also announced a partnership with Khan Academy for free test preparation materials starting in spring 2015.

May 13, 2015: College Board announces STEM credential initiative with Project Lead the Way

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: Free SAT test preparation materials made available through Khan Academy

In spring 2015, the College Board and Khan Academy partnered to make free test preparation materials available for the redesigned SAT, including a preparation application, practice problems, and video solutions.

2016: Redesigned SAT administered for the first time

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

October 2017: International SAT given in China

The SAT given in October 2017 was given internationally in China, later the file was leaked and recycled for use in America on August 25, 2018.

2017: College Board had a $140 million surplus in 2017

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

August 25, 2018: Recycled SAT given in America

On August 25, 2018, the SAT given in America was a recycled October 2017 international SAT given in China, where the PDF file had been leaked prior to the August 25, 2018 exam date.

2018: AP test early registration pilot program

In 2018, the College Board started a pilot program that required students to sign up for AP tests during the fall before early-round college decisions.

2019: AP test early registration rollout

In 2019, The College Board officially rolled out the program that required students to sign up for AP tests during the fall before early-round college decisions.

March 2020: College Board cancels test dates due to COVID-19 pandemic

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

May 2020: Glitches during digital AP exams

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

June 23, 2020: College Board and NBCUniversal Telemundo launch Triunfadores campaign

On June 23, 2020, the College Board and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises launched Triunfadores, a public campaign to guide primarily Spanish-speaking families through college planning and offer scholarships through the College Board Opportunity Scholarship program.

October 2020: College Board to terminate financial ties with Hanban

In October 2020, the College Board announced its intention to terminate financial ties with Hanban.

2020: Decline in high school students taking SAT

In 2020, 2.2 million high school students took the SAT.

2020: Alternate form of AP testing due to COVID-19

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board created an alternate form of AP testing where students took exams at home in a shortened 45-minute, open-book format. There were reports of disruptions in the process.

January 19, 2021: College Board discontinues SAT Subject Tests

On January 19, 2021, the College Board discontinued SAT Subject Tests in the United States, with a phase-out planned for international students the following summer.

June 2021: College Board discontinues optional SAT essay

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

September 2021: College Board charges for student information

As of September 2021, the College Board charges $0.50 per name for access to student information, leading to criticism and lawsuits over data privacy and disclosure practices.

2021: Decline in high school students taking SAT

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: College Board announces digital SAT

On January 25, 2022, the College Board announced that the SAT would be delivered digitally with new features such as a shorter testing period, more relevant topics, and calculator use throughout the math portion. This change was implemented to address inequities in technology accessibility and followed disruptions due to COVID-19.