The SATs could be on their way back to Egypt: Nonprofit organization College Board — which develops and administers the SAT college entrance exams — is looking into the possibility of reinstating the SAT exam for local American diploma students, with the move contingent upon the introduction of new regulations to ensure the integrity of the educational process and prevent manipulation of exams.

Refresher: The SATs are globally recognized American admission tests for students applying to undergraduate programs and scholarships, particularly at US universities. The exam was offered in Egypt until September 2020, when College Board announced that it would cancel the test indefinitely, citing “persistent test security incidents,” including leaked questions. The SAT exam costs US students USD 60, and it costs USD 103 in countries around the world.

**We ran a Blackboard back in 2020 that provides exhaustive background on the relationship between the SAT and the American diploma, as well as how Egyptian students have coped without the test.

Since the SATs were canceled in Egypt, students have opted to take the ACT — another prominent US-designed standardized test offered at the US Embassy’s American Center Cairo (ACC) — or travel abroad to take the SAT, Badr University Assiut president Mostafa Kamal told EnterpriseAM. The government-designed EST has also emerged as a stopgap for American diploma students looking to attend Egyptian universities, though it is not accepted abroad.

What’s new: Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif held a video conference with officials from the College Board to discuss the return of SAT exams for American diploma students in Egypt, with both sides now working toward setting up regulatory frameworks to administer the SAT and other standardized tests to ensure equal access for students. College Board’s director for the MENA region Matthew Chovanec confirmed the institution’s readiness to support the Education Ministry’s efforts and implement procedures to ensure the accuracy of the SAT exams and determine mechanisms for conducting them.

While the Education Ministry does not provide regulatory oversight for foreign certificates, ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of the digital system for conducting the exams is the main reason the SAT is expected to return to Egypt in 2025, a ministry source told EnterpriseAM.

The suspension of the examination damaged the reputation of the American diploma, the source noted, pointing out that the ministry had to intervene to assist the approximately 60k students enrolled in American diploma programs by using alternative exams — like the ACT and EST — to facilitate their admission into Egyptian universities.

The return of the SAT represents a return to normalcy for the American diploma: The return of SAT exams to Egypt could help solve a number of issues for students who obtained the EST certificate, many of whom had to go through the onerous process of obtaining equivalency certificates to ensure their acceptance into some universities, Alomran Smart Language Schools Chairman Saber Omran told EnterpriseAM. The test’s return could also help restore the reputation of the American diploma in Egypt, he added.

And investments in American education could soon follow: A return to normalcy for the American diploma with the offering of the SAT tests will encourage investors to look into opening more schools offering the American diploma, which have declined in favor of the IGCSE system in recent years. Omran himself indicated that he plans to open a new school offering American education next year.

British education has become a popular choice for Egyptian students: The British IGCSE has gained popularity among students in Egypt due to its standardized and externally graded exams, along with its strong curriculum, Kamal said. Nevertheless, greater diversity in college admissions certificates provides more opportunities for students, he added. Kamal emphasized that while IGCSE students receive quality education, the key factor for university admission lies in passing the qualifying exams required by each university, regardless of which certificate students obtain.

Better foreign education regulation could turn us into an education hub: Improved management of foreign certificates in Egypt could help position the country as an educational hub, attract educational tourism, and prepare Egyptian students with skills suited to the job market. In this regard, the return of the SAT could portend good things to come for our education sector.

Your top education stories for the week:

• Some 42 Egyptian universities rank among the top in the region, securing spots onthe 2024 Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings. Cairo University came in eighth place, up from 28th last year.
• The American University in Cairo received the largest gift in its history — estimated at USD 30 mn — from the Sawiris family. In recognition of the gift, the AUC’s business school has been renamed the Onsi Sawiris School of Business.
• Elsewedy University of Technology has partnered with the Texas International Education Consortium and Texas A&M University to offer specialized courses in agricultural engineering technology. (Statement, pdf)