The College Board conducted a validation study to provide colleges and universities with information about the Writing Test that was added to the new SAT in March 2005. The objective of this study was to estimate the predictive and incremental validity of scores on the SAT I Writing Test over the then operational SAT I Math and Verbal scores and high school GPA. 

AIR supported this effort by administering an experimental version of the SAT I Writing Test to samples of incoming freshmen at 12 universities and colleges around the United States. In addition to test results, AIR obtained high school GPA, operational SAT I Math and Verbal scores, and information regarding academic performance during the freshman year for student participants. 

Using the information gathered throughout the study, AIR conducted predictive and incremental validity analyses and presented the results, along with recommendations for follow-up validity work, to the College Board through a series of briefings and a technical report. The results suggest that the new SAT writing section should be a useful addition to the SAT in terms of predicting academic performance during the first year in college.