Every year, millions of students take one of the two premier standardized tests SAT or ACT and some even take both, as part of their college preparation process. The tests continue to play a decisive role in the admissions process, though the last couple of years have bucked this trend with any schools taking the test-optional route.

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History, Evolution and Criticisms

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The tests were originally created to standardize college admissions procedure. The test was set up so that colleges would be able to identify candidates based on intellectual promise, as against rote memorization and regurgitation of high school subject matter. The tests are designed to assess how well the test-takers analyze and solve problems and will be able to apply the skills that they’ve learned in college.

 

Critics of these tests have been around for as long as the tests themselves, but the intensity of the arguments have grown significantly in the past couple of years, amid the Covid pandemic. The tests are seen as having problems of bias, inaccuracy, coachability, and misuse. Critics argue that,

 

• It is not a level playing field and unduly advantages privileged kids who have access to good information and are able to prepare better

• The tests are highly coachable, and students prepare to do well in the test vs. learning the subject matter which is being tested. There are many big corporations and specialized services that have mushroomed who provide coaching for these tests

• Even assuming that the standardized tests do a good job of testing knowledge, is it the same as assessing potential and gauging college readiness which they claim to do? High school grades, along with recommendation letters and writing supplements, is argued to be a better indicator of college readiness as they are closely related to a student’s study habits and work ethic.

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Recent Changes and how colleges could respond

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There have been a spate of changes in the recent months, CollegeBoard retiring the SAT Subject Tests and also the optional SAT Essay. The tests however are likely to remain relevant and continue to be an integral part of the college admissions process. Let’s take a closer look at the role these tests play in the admissions process and also what it means to international students.

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There is no denying that colleges care deeply and want to look at the student as a whole and not just at a score or a number. Most colleges insist that the test scores are only one of the many parameters they look at when evaluating academic ability.

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When it comes to international students, the colleges may not be fully aware of the nuances of the education system plus the grading standards can vary enormously from school to school. Similarly, the letters of recommendation from teachers cannot be relied upon for any sort of consistency. Lack of other statistics around county averages etc. are fairly meaningless even assuming such data exists.

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In such a scenario, the tests are quite valuable and may continue to be a good way for international students to demonstrate their preparedness for college. It can prove to be a unique tool for colleges to compare students on an even basis. It can act as a mechanism to both corroborate as well as counter your high school performance. In addition, many Indian universities grant admissions on the basis of SAT, so doing away with these tests will have a larger impact in that sense.

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Future Direction

 

The past couple of years have seen many schools going ahead with a test-optional policy. This perforce means that they have been experimenting with alternative ways to evaluate applicants and how admissions decisions are made in the absence of test scores and newer, different models will emerge from this.

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With the emergence of alternatives, the tests themselves will undergo change but there’s no denying that the basic need for a test that can be graded quickly and uniformly has not gone away. This need is higher for international students where other information may not be readily and reliably available. With appropriate changes, the standardized tests can continue to fill that gap and can continue to play a significant role.

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College & Me is a series of articles featuring useful information about College Admissions for undergraduate and graduate degree programs in US colleges. 

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