The National Center for Fair & Open Testing

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial.
Learn more about us and our mission.

SPOTLIGHT

National Call to Suspend High-Stakes Testing in Spring 2021

Forcing public schools to administer standardized exams to students after COVID-19 disruptions would produce invalid and unfair results while diverting resources from real educational needs. Both individuals and organizations can sign the online petition to education policymakers at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/suspend-high-stakes-student-testing and use this tool to organize locally.
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Two-thirds of all U.S. colleges and universities are test-optional or test-blind for fall 2021 applicants

More than two-thirds of 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. will not require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores for fall 2021 admission. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), which maintains a free, online master list, reports that more than 1,570 schools are now test-optional. The federal government counts 2,330 bachelor-degree granting institutions.
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College Board Sued By Students, Fair-Testing Advocates For Access And Technology Failures On Computerized AP Exams

Students and families from across the U.S., whose Advanced Placement (AP) responses could not be submitted during last week’s exams due to the test-makers technology problems, have filed a class action lawsuit in federal court seeking to force AP’s sponsor, the College Board, to score their answers. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), whose staff spent many hours documenting and publicizing students’ experiences, joined the plaintiffs in seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the College Board.
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Updated FairTest Factsheet: States That Recently Eliminated or Scaled Back High School Exit Exams

The number of states requiring high school graduation exams in language arts and math has declined rapidly over the past few years. Only eleven states have graduation tests in place for the high school class of 2020, down from a high of 27 that had or planned such tests. The current number is the lowest level since at least the mid-1990s.

See our updated fact sheet: Graduation Test Update: States That Recently Eliminated or Scaled Back High School Exit Exams
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“Beyond The GRE” Campaign And “GREXIT” Web List Seek To Downplay Tests In Graduate School Admissions

Scores from the Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) are not good predictors of success in many graduate school programs, according to leaders of an effort to reduce reliance on test results launched today.
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Just Say No to Standardized Tests: Why and How to Opt Out

FairTest fact sheet explains opting out, links to fact sheets on federal law, and more.
To stay on top of resistance news, read our weekly news clip summary, or sign up for the weekly mailing of the summary. Please donate to help FairTest grow the testing resistance and reform movement by clicking here.
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1,685+ Accredited, 4-Year Colleges & Universities with ACT/SAT-Optional Testing Policies for Fall, 2021 Admissions
 

See the searchable database of schools.

Find out why and how schools go "Test Optional."

Members of the Media:

Contact Robert Schaeffer at (239) 395-6773 or FairTest at (617) 477-9792

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