1. 1. Is it fair for organizations to require minimum scores on standardized tests such as the SAT? Why or why not? 
2. 2. As a recruiter choosing between two individuals with different SAT scores, would you have difficulty giving the job to the applicant with the lower score? On what additional factors might your choice depend? 
3. 3. What other indicators of job performance, besides SAT scores, could you use to screen job applicants? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? 
4. 4. Suppose you worked at a company that used SAT scores for hiring purposes. How would you handle diverse applicants, such as those from a foreign country who 
5. may not have taken the SAT. 

Many high school students probably believe that once they get into college, their SAT scores are a thing of the past. However, many job seekers are discovering their would-be employers are asking for their SAT scores as part of the selection process. Donna Chan, a 23-year-old graduate of New York’s Wagner College, learned that one of the minimum requirements for many of the entry-level financial services jobs she was seeking was a combined SAT score of 1300. According to the College Board, the organization that administers the exam, the average combined math and verbal score of the freshman class of 2005 (the last class to take the old version of the SAT) was 1028. Donna Chan’s score was “in the 1200s”—a good score to be sure but not good enough to obtain any of the positions she was seeking, even though she obtained a 3.9 grade-point average in college. “I think it’s asking a bit much,” says Chan. “That’s something high school kids have to worry about. After four years of working hard, I think you’ve paid your dues, and unless you’re applying to Princeton Review or some math related, analytical job, I don’t see the relevance.” 

Apparently, however, some recruiters do. Alan Sage, a vice president at systems-management software company Configuresoft Inc., says SAT scores are a good predictor of success in his company, and he regularly has applicants submit their scores when applying for sales positions. He set the mark at a combined score of 1200—lower than Donna Chan faced but nonetheless well above average. Says Sage, “In my experience, people with high SAT scores tend to do better.” Sage himself scored between 1200 and 1300. He adds, however, that “we wouldn’t exclude someone from an interview if he or she didn’t score high.” 

Seppy Basilli, vice president of Kaplan Inc., one of several companies that provides instruction on taking the SAT, believes companies are misusing SAT scores. “It’s such a maligned instrument,” he says. “It’s not designed to measure job performance, and the kind of person who performs well on the SATs is not necessarily the kind of person who will perform well sitting at her desk.” Morgan Denny, who works as a headhunter in New York, shares a similar opinion. Though his clients typically want to consider only applicants with high SAT scores, Denny often shows his clients applicants he believes are strong candidates for the position despite a lower score. “The SAT is an annoyance for us and an annoyance for our candidates,” says Denny. 

Some individuals, such as Kristin Carnahan, a spokesperson for the College Board, feel companies should use other measures of cognitive ability, such as college grades, which are also more recent indicators than SAT scores. However, grades aren’t standardized across institutions, so they can’t be compared like SAT scores can. Grade inflation (Exhibit 17-3) also may make it more difficult for recruiters to assess an applicant’s GPA. Because OB research has shown cognitive ability is a strong predictor of job performance—and the SAT is supposedly a measure of cognitive ability—many companies may continue to use the SAT as a benchmark for job applicants.