This is a record year for colleges and universities deciding that students can apply without submitting ACT or SAT standardized exam scores. Over the past twelve months, 47 schools have announced new test-optional admissions policies, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest).
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.
Spotlight
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
“This is both the worst case of corruption in the college admissions process ever seen in the U.S., and just a natural extension of the kinds of manipulation that people with money have done to get their kids into selective colleges.” “The whole system is pay-to-play.”
Click here for a roundup of FairTest media reactions to the latest example of the test-driven admissions process being “gamed” by the wealthiest and most privileged among us.
“Promotion of ‘adversity scores’ is the latest attempt by the College Board to defend the SAT against increasingly well-documented critiques of the negative consequences of relying on admissions test results,”according to Robert Schaeffer, Public Education Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest).
“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.
Last weekend’s SAT Biology Subject Test was in circulation more than half a day before the test’s administration, according to a watchdog group that received an advance copy. In addition, exam questions and answers were posted on the website Reddit.com hours before U.S. testing started.
More than 1000 four-year colleges and universities do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants.