The Test & the Art of Thinking traces the history and evolution of the SAT/ACT standardized test as a major player on the pathway to higher education in America, while documenting its current power in our culture. Each year more than 3 million high school students in the United States take an SAT or ACT college entrance exam. For decades there have been questions about what exactly these tests measure, how predictive they are of academic promise or success, and their role in higher education admissions. Parents, students and academics reflect upon this uniquely American rite of passage, exposing fascinating issues that extend broadly within education.