The Essay
"Test optional" admissions to US colleges:
Does it hold water?
Sudarshan Saha, Former EducationUSA Advising Coordinator, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), Kolkata, India Diya Dutt, Former Deputy Director, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), Delhi, India
There has been ongoing debate in recent years on whether standardised test scores can predict students’ success in higher education, be it at the undergraduate or graduate level. Several academics and institutions are now leaning towards "test optional" admissions1. This trend became visible during the pandemic when many were unable to take their tests and testing agencies could not provide a sanitised and secure online testing environment for home-based tests.
The proponents of the "test optional" policy offer several arguments to continue this practice. Firstly, the option to not use standardised tests benefits students from marginalised backgrounds who are often unable to afford the cost of tests and may not have adequate resources to score well. Standardised tests also add marginal value in predicting the first-year grades at college level education. Lastly such a policy ensures more equity in admission process as universities should implement a more holistic process of assessing applications.
On the other end of the spectrum, advocates of tests argue that scores can give an approximate indication of students’ success at college level. It provides a standard platform to assess students from diverse secondary education systems across the world. This is especially relevant for countries like USA which receives applications from several thousand students from different countries. Furthermore, the criteria adopted for admission process by US colleges that opt for "test optional" standards may not be completely transparent. The standardised test scores can give an approximate idea of the students’ analytical, verbal and quantitative skills that are crucial for college level education.
Increasing access and availability
There are several avenues to increase accessibility to tests for students who need financial help or are first-generation learners. The US Department of State (DOS) through the Opportunity Fund program2, assists highly qualified students who are likely to be awarded full financial aid from US colleges, but lack the financial resources to cover the up-front costs to apply, such as testing, application fees, or airfare. This program has been a great success in opening access to US higher education for students with limited means.
Many beneficiaries of the program obtain competitive test scores and admission with full/substantial financial aid for undergraduate studies in the US. In April 2023, ETS TOEFL in partnership with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) announced a scholarship that will financially assist 25 deserving Indian students who wish to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies at a UK university3.
College Board which offers college placement exams also give fee waivers as mentioned on its official website.4 Khan Academy and other organisations, such as, the U.S. Department of State supported EducationUSA network that are involved in international education advising and preparation, provide free access to test prep materials for deserving students.
In addition, US colleges may consider reducing the application fees to make their institutions more accessible to students. For example, the application fee at a US. college typically ranges from $40 to $95. If a student applies to four colleges, the minimum cost for the application alone would be $160.
Benefits of assessment:
The scores from standardised tests assist colleges and universities with a baseline marker to make decisions in admission for limited seats from a large pool of applicants. Also, students who work hard to prepare for standardised tests and receive high scores may not receive their due recognition if institutions drop testing from their admission criteria. Other application components, such as Letters of Reference (LORs), are important in providing an overview of the students’ skills and qualities, but these assessments may be subjective.
A study conducted by ACT among 4.3 million students from more than 4,000 schools suggests that there is inflation in high school GPAs over the past decade. The study revealed that while high school GPAs increased 0.19 grade points from 3.17 in 2010 to 3.36 in 2021, average ACT composite scores during this period continued to decline. The result is significant as it suggests an inverse correlation between high school GPA and ACT scores 5.
One standard admission policy
US universities should adopt a single standard admission policy, either “test blind” or “test required”. The "test optional" option used by several US institutions does not provide a level playing field in assessing students’ preparedness for college admissions. Some colleges provide contradictory information on their admission requirements, i.e., in some instances follow the test-optional policy and on other occasion, uses SAT or ACT scores for admission.
During the pandemic, the test-optional policy helped students to pursue college after completing high school without taking the standardised tests as well as institutions, as it helped maintain the flow in the student pipeline. In 2023, as the situation is returning to normal, standardised tests should get back its due recognition as a credible yardstick to judge student preparedness for college. This is evident from the recent decision taken by MIT to revive standardised test scores as a criterion for admission6. U.S. universities that are still pursuing "test-optional" admission policy should follow one clear-cut policy.
