GoKawiilJob application asked for my SAT scores
20 Jun, 2026
Yesterday I was looking at YC jobs to see if there were any interesting small startups hiring in my area (while I otherwise love my current fully-remote job, I'm looking for hybrid). I found one that advertised an opening they called "GTM". I thought that was cool re: no specific scope, just someone who could make their product attractive to buyers however they can.
Product seemed good (ETL type of tool). Everything was about what I expected, until this blurb at the end:
If this sounds interesting to you, please reach out to our anonymized careers inbox with your resume. Please include your undergrad GPA and your SAT scores (other standardized tests such as GRE, GMAT, etc. are acceptable in lieu of SAT scores) even if you are several years or even decades removed from undergrad. We do not have any cut-offs for either metric, but note that failure to provide these will disqualify your application from further consideration.
I found this interesting for two reasons:
Since 2023 or so, I've noticed more and more tech companies and hyper-growth startups dropping bachelor's degree requirements. Instead, many ask about side projects/links to personal websites/blurbs about what you're most proud of. Basically, indicators that someone is passionate and a 'self-starter.'
Why would you ask for a self-reported, unverifiable test score that could be decades old at this point? There must be a better predictor for current cognitive ability than that, if that's what you're testing for. If not, this seems like a trick question to test compliance with pointless directives.
Under ideal conditions, SAT scores are probably a decent proxy for predicting whether a new hire will contribute to the success of your business. Cognitive ability is, unsurprisingly, positively correlated with professional success.
That said, there are clear problems with using an old SAT score as a decades-old litmus test for intelligence:
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