History of Assessment in the US timeline

Sep 9, 1833

Harvard has first internal written examinations
Sep 9, 1845

Boston introduces written examinations
Sep 9, 1851

Harvard has first written entrance examinations
Sep 9, 1900

College Entrance Examinations Board establishes college entrance examines.
Period: Sep 9, 1914 to Sep 9, 1918

During WWI, the army uses a combination of IQ tests and multiple choice tests on new army recruits.
Sep 9, 1915

First multiple choice test
Sep 9, 1916

Standford-Binet IQ test developed, which is still the model for IQ tests today.
Sep 9, 1918

College Entrance Examination Board develops use of multiple choice test to measure aptitude of students without regard to quality of previous schooling.
Period: Sep 9, 1920 to Sep 9, 1929

Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) developed.
Period: Sep 9, 1940 to Sep 9, 1949

College entrance determined by SAT and short acheivement tests, both of which are multiple choice. Essay tests are no longer used.
Period: Sep 9, 1960 to Sep 9, 1969

Reaction against multiple choice testing with the arguement that learning is not the art of picking the right answer.
Period: Sep 9, 1980 to Sep 9, 1989

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) establishes regular ample survey tests.
Sep 9, 1989

American College Testing Assessment (ACT), and later the SAT as well, were redesigned to test conceptual and abstract thinking.
Period: Sep 9, 1990 to Sep 9, 1999

Endorsed by President Bill Clinton specifically in 1996, there is an embracement of testing every student at set ages in the areas of reading and math.

Harvard has first internal written examinations

Boston introduces written examinations

Harvard has first written entrance examinations

College Entrance Examinations Board establishes college entrance examines.

During WWI, the army uses a combination of IQ tests and multiple choice tests on new army recruits.

First multiple choice test

Standford-Binet IQ test developed, which is still the model for IQ tests today.

College Entrance Examination Board develops use of multiple choice test to measure aptitude of students without regard to quality of previous schooling.

Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) developed.

College entrance determined by SAT and short acheivement tests, both of which are multiple choice. Essay tests are no longer used.

Reaction against multiple choice testing with the arguement that learning is not the art of picking the right answer.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) establishes regular ample survey tests.

American College Testing Assessment (ACT), and later the SAT as well, were redesigned to test conceptual and abstract thinking.

Endorsed by President Bill Clinton specifically in 1996, there is an embracement of testing every student at set ages in the areas of reading and math.