Some lessons in life arrive gently, while others sting for years — something Kevin Hart found out the hard way after a big misstep ahead of his SATs.
A story from Hart’s teens has been making the rounds again online, helped along by a resurfaced clip of the now 46-year-old comedian speaking about the moment on the Joe Rogan Experience.
“I got a 585 on my SAT, they give you 400 for putting your name on the paper. I guessed A,B,A,C,A,D,A… I did ABACADABA all the way down” Hart told Rogan.
He wasn’t exaggerating for comedic effect — though he did go on to explain what drove him to treat such an important exam so casually.
For anyone preparing to take the SAT, his experience is a clear warning: randomly filling in answers isn’t a plan. Even if it might make for a funny anecdote later, it’s a risky move with real consequences.
Hart added: “I didn’t care because there was a class trip that same day, I wanted to go. I was told that not taking my SAT seriously would prohibit me from furthering myself in life.”
What makes the score even more striking is that pure guessing often lands somewhere around 600–700, meaning his approach didn’t just backfire — it underperformed even by the loose standard of randomness.
The reality of it hit when results came back and classmates celebrated scores that opened doors to college options and fresh starts. For Hart, a 585 didn’t leave many appealing paths in the short term.
“When I saw all my friends get their test scores back and they were ecstatic, everybody’s going to college, I felt like the biggest idiot in the world,” Hart shared on the podcast, before reflecting on how this had stunted his life after school.
He added: “The same people I wanted to rush to go to Great Adventure with, they had taken their SAT the week before. I was the only one who didn’t prioritize so I’m the only one going to community college… I just got left behind.”
Kevin Hart shares the lesson that changed his life
“I got a 585 on my SAT, they give you 400 for putting your name on the paper. I guessed A,B,A,C,A,D,A… I did ABACADABA all the way down”
“I didn’t care because there was a class trip that same day, I wanted to go. I was told… pic.twitter.com/BCoNK58Xna
— Jack (@Jackkk) May 5, 2026
Hart later attended the Community College of Philadelphia for a year, but eventually stepped away from school and started taking whatever work he could find — including selling shoes.
While the decision affected how quickly he could move forward compared with friends, he says it also cemented a mindset he’s carried ever since: treat opportunities seriously, because you don’t always get a do-over.
“Lesson learned, any opportunity given should be taken serious from this point on because if not you can find yourself feeling just like this,” he shared, adding: “I learned from it… now if I gotta take a test you best believe I’m studying for that.”
That mentality has arguably served him well throughout a career built on taking chances — and now it’s leading into a new Netflix project arriving Sunday, where Hart will be on the receiving end for a change.
Instead of delivering the punchlines, he’ll be the target of them, as fellow comedians take aim during The Roast of Kevin Hart.