Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many colleges and universities have gotten rid of their standardized testing requirements. Five years ago, SAT and ACT scores were one of the most important parts when it came to assessing college application. Today, score submission is not even required in many prestigious universities, such as Stanford, Harvard, and Yale. This is often referred to as the “test optional” approach.

On March 1, 2023, Columbia University announced its decision to permanently go test-optional, making it the first Ivy League institution to do so. Instead of the testing requirement returning post-pandemic, it seems as if its importance is decreasing further.

There are many factors that contribute to this. One is that many institutions have found that standardized testing is not an accurate measure of a student’s success or potential. For example, a student could be in a poor mental state or going through an unfortunate event at the time of testing, which could negatively impact their focus and, thereby, their score. Additionally, many other factors such as language barriers and learning disabilities are not considered.

Standardized testing also creates an equity gap among minority and low-income students. Low-income students are disadvantaged in the sense that their wealthy peers can afford to retake the test multiple times, invest in private tutors, and purchase various test prep materials. Minority and low-income students also often attend poorly funded schools, which do not give them the support they need. According to the Brookings Institution, black and Hispanic students consistently score lower than their white and Asian American peers.

Contrary to critics’ beliefs, advocates for standardized testing believe that these tests measure student learning over the years. When students start at a lower score and increase to a higher one, their improvement and learning are reflected in their score. The SAT and ACT can also, because of their various categories, track specific areas where students need improvement.

With many universities turning to the test-optional policy, the SAT and ACT are drastically reducing in importance. Whether schools decide to completely take away their testing requirements or reinforce them, it is important to look at both the advantages and the disadvantages of standardized tests.