The PAA or Prueba de Aptitud Académica is an educational assessment that is used to help universities across Latin America select incoming students. More specifically, it is a standardized test for university admissions. It is offered by College Board Puerto Rico y America Latina (CBPRAL), part of the College Board. The PAA is not a translation of the Scholastic Aptitude Test used in the United States and it is developed independently from the SAT, even though the PAA measures the same constructs as the SAT.[1] While the CBPRAL is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the PAA is delivered in a range of Spanish-speaking countries.[2]
The third generation of the PAA assesses students on three components:[2] Verbal Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning, and Indirect Writing. Scores on each section range from 200 to 800.[3] The fourth generation of the PAA, launched in Puerto Rico in December 2017, assesses three components: Reading and Writing, Mathematics, and English as a Second Language.[4] A 200- to 800-point scale is used for each component. This use of scaled scoring for a test score is typical of many assessments, as it facilitates score reporting after test equating.
Research has supported the reliability and validity of the PAA.