Whether it is a good test depends on what you're trying to measure and what you want a college degree to convey. If a college degree in photography should state _only_ that a person has some knowledge and competence in photography, then I agree.

I think the conferral of a degree is supposed to symbolize more than that, though. An institution's degree asserts some minimum level of education broadly, with an emphasis in the field of study you chose.

There's no reason a standardized test's worth should hinge on what a student might focus on in college. There's no reason any college student shouldn't arrive without a basic grasp of English or math.

> basic grasp of English or math

I don't think the SAT measures a "basic grasp" of English, it measures memorization skill.