The Return of Standardized Tests: What You Need to Know

the last couple of years, there was this movement and attitude that standardized tests were on the way out, starting out due to the pandemic era and the disruptions that came with it. Thousands of schools started implementing "test-optional" or "test-blind" admissions policies so that upcoming high schoolers and teachers began believing these kinds of tests would be something left in the past. However, times and policies are changing, with major institutions like Dartmouth, Yale, MIT, Brown, Stanford, and the University of Texas having all officially reinstated tests like the SAT and ACT back as a requirement in order to apply.

This quick reversal has confused upcoming applicants and left them in an interesting situation in which they must adjust their application strategies and policies and begin shifting how this impacts their college list.

Why Colleges Are Bringing Back Standardized Tests

However, before that, first it is crucial to understand why these schools and institutions are bringing back these standardized tests. As when schools started to become test-optional, applications to most schools spiked. The issue was now admissions committees had an issue in which, due to high school grade inflation and no sort of standardized system to help rank applicants, there was lots of debate that began to form about what kind of students would be admitted and help push the school forward. As applicants' applications started looking similar, they couldn't simply decide how one applicant got accepted and another rejected.

According to data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), average high school GPAs have increased even though standardized test scores have not. So when multiple similar top candidates have an unweighted 4.0 GPA, it makes it much harder for officers to decide who gets to go to school and who doesn't.

Along with that, studies from Dartmouth and Yale showed that test scores helped predict college success, as standardized test scores correlated strongly with first-year college GPA and course completion rates, serving as a much better benchmark for performance than just grades. They also found that test-optional policies harmed disadvantaged applicants. Under test-optional rules, many underrepresented students held back test scores that were actually well above their local high school average, which could have greatly improved their chances of getting admitted. But without those scores, admissions teams didn't have enough context on students and their academic strength relative to their environment.

However, these changes don't mean the end for you and your dream college, but it does mean you need to be more cautious when taking a look around for schools and what you can do to get those standardized test scores up.

Understanding School Policies

For starters, you need to first differentiate schools based on their policies, as currently there are 3 categories for schools:

Test Required is where you have to submit your SAT/ACT scores to even be considered for admission.

Test Optional is where you can submit your test scores and your application will be used to decide if you get accepted, but if not, they use the rest of your application to see if you are eligible.

Test Blind or Score Free is where scores are completely ignored even if you submit them, making no difference in someone's application.

Taking Action and Preparing

For freshmen and sophomores, use this time to prepare and take action. Take an official practice SAT and practice ACT, whether that be at the end of sophomore or junior year.

Even if you think that the extra practice on the test won't help, it would still be useful to learn how to utilize Bluebook, in which these tests are being taken. This includes learning how to use the graphing calculators to finding and locating where all the formulas and tools are located so you can more easily go through questions.

As for colleges that are test-optional, you should decide whether or not to send your scores based on data. First, go to a school's Common Data Set or admissions profile to find their "Middle 50%" score range. As a general rule of thumb, you should submit your score if your score is above the 50% average of the school you're applying to, and refrain from adding it if you sit below it. The only caveat to this is also taking a quick look at your school and seeing whether the average score is lower than what you got. So, for example, if you go to a school where the average is 950 and you get 1400, and the school you're applying to has an average of 1450, you should still submit your results.

As for preparations, it's pretty straightforward and simple advice. Use official, free prep platforms like Khan Academy's Official Digital SAT Prep or official practice tests available through the College Board and ACT.org. Also make sure that you value quality over quantity. That means studying for 30 minutes every other day is much more effective than studying for 8 hours a night for a week straight before the exam. Another tip, if you do decide to take the practice tests, is to create an "Error Log" where you jot down questions you got wrong and target those weaknesses.

To end off, the return of required testing isn't something to dread and isn't something meant just to stress you out. Test scores help give an objective metric that helps show your performance and potential to admissions officers, which is something that grades simply can't communicate. It helps colleges decide where you will most likely thrive. With this, you should be able to face college applications with confidence and have a ready-built, highly competitive college application.