TESTING INFORMATION

The changes to standardized testing in college admissions are more dramatic and significant than the changes to the Common App.The changes – both additions and deletions – to the Test Information section illustrate the evolution of standardized testing and how it is perceived, both internally within schools and externally for the public at large. 

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 Before we can address why these changes were made, it’s worth looking at how they were made. 

First, let’s dispense with the terminology.  SAT I/SAT Reasoning Tests are what most would consider the “SAT”. The SAT I test consists of a math, writing/combined essay, and a verbal/critical thinking section and is currently  scored on a 1600 point scale. SAT tests as well as AP programs and tests are run by the College Board. 

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The SAT II/SAT Subject Tests are subject-based standardized tests that, according to the College Board, “examine one’s understanding of material taught in school” and consist of Math, Science, English, History, and Languages. SAT Subject Tests were discontinued in the US in 2021. The College Board also canceled the optional essay portion on the SAT, claiming, “there are other ways for students to demonstrate their mastery of essay writing.” 

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This constituted a reversal. In 2005, the College Board added an essay requirement  in order to make writing "more of a priority across the United States." The ACT is the other main standardized test that college-bound students take. As with the SAT (which once stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and then Scholastic Assessment Test) the ACT is no longer an acronym. It once stood for “American College Testing” but is now just a brand name. 
 

Regardless,  at most schools,  students  have the option of taking either the SAT or the ACT. Traditionally, the SAT was the only option, but the ACT has risen greatly in its popularity and acceptance over the past twenty years. The ACT consists of a science, reading, math, and English section. The ACT is graded on a scale of 1-36. English as a second language tests are proficiency tests for students whose primary language is one other than English. Finally, Senior Secondary Leaving Examinations are tests taken by certain students outside the United States that they have to pass in order to leave high school. These tests might also determine one’s total high school marks in many situations. Cambridge tests are in depth English exams that assess different linguistic skills. 

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While COVID has notably changed the college process and how standardized testing is viewed in admissions, many colleges were starting to move away from standardized testing even before the pandemic. As far as SAT and ACT are concerned, before the 2021-2022 applicant pool, more than 1000 four-year colleges and universities considered themselves “test optional”. That number has now almost doubled, with 80% of four-year colleges not requiring scores for Fall 2023 admission and around 1,835 schools have declared themselves permanently test-optional or test-blind. Some schools consider themselves “Test flexible”. At these schools, you must send in test scores – but you can submit scores from other tests in place of the ACT/SAT

Then there are test blind schools, who will not consider scores even if they are sent in. The UC system famously went test-blind in 2021. However, David Coleman, the Chief Executive of the College Board has stated that despite the decreasing popularity in standardized tests, the demand is still very much there. The Common Application also stated that for the high school class of 2021, only 43% of applicants submitted SAT/ACT scores; however, the numbers were greater for those applying to more competitive colleges. All in all, it does not appear that the Common Application will be removing the option to self-report test scores any time soon.

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While for the time being it seems that the SAT and ACT are here to stay, there are changes in the Common App that show how other forms of standardized tests are either gone or on their way out. The SAT Subject Tests and AP/IB tests which were once considered separately in 2008-2009, with six and nine spaces respectively to report scores, by 2021-2022 had become one large section with AP/IB/SAT Subject Tests/Cambridge/Senior Secondary Leaving Examinations all grouped together with eight spots for students to report scores. This change reflects the many that had occurred within the College Board and the general perceptions towards these tests.

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What happened with the Subject Tests? On January 19, 2021 the college board discontinued SAT Subject Tests. However, some colleges still accepted subject tests from previous administrations, which is why Common App maintained the option for students to report the tests. The reason for this, the college board claimed, was that they were “reducing demands on students. The expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.” Previously, most prestigious universities required at least two, and in some cases three, subject tests along with an application. Oftentimes one of these tests needed to be math. Even before the tests were discontinued, colleges had been increasingly changing their “required” stamp on the subject tests to “considered”.

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What happened with AP/IB tests? Advanced Placement (AP) courses are an American curriculum that came about in the 1950s with the objective of presenting an exclusive chance to exceptionally motivated students that would enable them to pursue and receive academic credits for college-level coursework. However, nearly 40% of high school students are enrolled in AP classes. Therefore, taking these classes does not signal to college admissions that the student is particularly exceptional. Additionally, many students and teachers find the AP curriculum stifling, as they are not allowed to delve deeply into certain topics. So, with the knowledge that erasing AP courses would not disrupt students' chances of getting into college, high schools (mainly private schools) generally welcome the change. AP courses are constructed around preparing students to do well on the AP exams, which College Board defines as, “standardized exams designed to measure how well [the student] has mastered the content and skills of a specific AP course”. Certain private institutions also maintain the mindset that if they are able to prepare students for AP tests without having them take the official AP class – for example if a student were to achieve a high score on the AP World History exam from only taking their high school’s Advanced World History class – that will look better to college admissions and bolster the high school’s stats. 

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International Baccalaureate (IB) classes are offered much less frequently than AP classes. IB classes and programs are internationally recognized, and with the rigorous IB program a student can graduate with both an American high school diploma and an International Baccalaureate diploma. IB classes are being removed from certain schools on the grounds of them being “not inclusive and diverse enough” and a lack of participation. However, due to their comparative popularity with AP classes, this news has not made as big of an impact within college admissions and is not as widespread as the removal of the AP curriculum. 

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Why are all these tests now grouped together? Since these tests are being removed from standard curriculums and losing popularity, students have fewer tests to report. Given that the majority of Common App applicants reside in the wealthiest 20% of U.S. zip codes, we can deduce that many of them attended private schools – where the elimination of the AP and IB curriculum is most prominent. So, to reflect the qualities of the majority of its users, Common App is able to lower the amount of test scores an applicant can report and group multiple tests together.   

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Why are more English as a second language tests accepted? With the increase in international applicants in college admissions, more forms of English as a second language tests have been accepted, which explains the increase in those listed on the Common App. 

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The SAT alone has changed greatly over just the course of the 21st century. With decades of accusations that the test favors wealthy and white students, the College Board has continuously attempted to alter the test in order to cater it to a more diverse population. From shifting weight from mathematical sections to verbal ones, changing language within those verbal sections, removing the guess penalty, to attempting to install an “Adversity Score”, backlash to the College Board has grown and colleges have begun moving away from the test. Arguments that the test is racist and classist have dominated large portions of the media, and it seems that one of admissions’ last methods of obtaining objective data has turned out to be not-so objective. This subjectivity peaks through within the Common App, as seen in 2010-2011 when the application began asking for the applicant’s “Best Scores” instead of their raw ones. Nevertheless getting rid of the SAT and ACT does not mean that the college process will become less subjective, but in fact, more so. In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, chances are that getting rid of standardized testing will level the playing field in certain ways – but make the process more subjective and discrimination easier to hide.

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