It’ll cost you $52 to get in, but you could take home thousands – at least. This is the latest project from the artistic collective MSCHF: a unique, winning, massively multiplayer version of the SATs named MSAT.
The SAT – for non-US readers – is a multiple-choice test taken across the United States for college admissions. Because it’s so widely taken, it’s something of an object of cultural horror. “I actually took the ACT, but since 95% of my friends took the SAT, I remember they were stressed out and spent almost 12 full months preparing with private tutors and courses of study,” said MSCHF founder Daniel Greenberg. The edge.
So Greenberg and his colleagues created the MSAT. Registration is open for the rest of the week, and the test itself will take place at noon ET on Saturday, March 5, with all participants playing live against each other from their computers. The winner takes home all entry fees, and here’s the kicker: cheating is encouraged.
According to Greenberg, this chaotic configuration reflects the principles already embodied by the SATs. “College admissions are already a contest, but instead of making money, a significant portion of players are earning a mountain of debt,” says Greenberg. “Also, college admissions is mostly about cheating — wealthy parents, legacies, and sports are far more likely to get you into Harvard than your test scores. So, the MSAT is all about cheating! How much can you play an online SAT without restriction? Let’s find out!”
The MSAT will contain all of the regular elements found in the SATs, with reading, writing, and math sections, plus an optional essay. MSCHF says he took his questions from the practice versions of the SAT but edited them so no one could find the answers ahead of time.
If you’ve never heard of it before, MSCHF itself is an art collective that has made a name for itself by staging viral stunts like this. The company’s past “drops” include a chicken squeeze bong, custom Nike shoes designed in collaboration with Lil Nas X and allegedly made with a single drop of blood, and a project that lets people control a Boston robot dog. Dynamics armed with a paintball gun On the internet. How does MSCHF make money? Well, it’s not clear. He has VC funding and the credentials to get into any ad agency he likes, but the company has been adamant that it’s not interested in doing commercials.
In the meantime, we receive projects like the MSAT. You can find out more about the competition here, including entry requirements and rules of engagement. Good luck.
