| Abstract: | This paper briefly explores the US secondary education system, concentrating on the variables that affect students' entrance into university and the effects of increased competition for places in the most highly selective universities. The SAT (formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test) programme is highlighted, since it comprises the most common form of national standardised assessment for university bound students. With the recent increase in competition for the most highly prized university places, and growing numbers of US students entering university, another national assessment programme is gaining popularity—the Advanced Placement (AP) Program—which is then analysed. |
