Debate Desk
Are Standardized Tests Biased and Should Colleges Drop Them?
Tests predict college success better than grades alone and help find talented students from poor schools; MIT and other schools brought them back.
The claim
Opponents of the SAT and ACT say the tests favor wealthy students who can pay for tutors, reflect background rather than ability, and add stress for little benefit. Dropping them, they say, makes admissions fairer.
The answer in three points
- A test is a common yardstick. Grades vary between schools, and grade inflation has made an A mean less. A test given to every student on the same terms is one of the few ways to compare applicants from different schools.
- Tests help the disadvantaged student who is talented. A strong score from a student at a weak high school flags ability that a transcript may not show. Without it, an admissions office leans on essays, recommendations and activities, which favor families who know how to craft them.
- The evidence supports tests. Research from several universities has found that test scores predict first-year grades and graduation better than grades alone, including for students from lower-income homes. Schools that went test-optional have seen reasons to reconsider.
A fair admissions system tries to find talent wherever it exists, and tests are one of the few tools that can do so across thousands of different high schools. Used alongside grades, essays and other evidence, they add information. Dropping them takes information away, and the students it hurts most are those whose other credentials are thin.
The numbers
- MIT announced in March 2022 that it would reinstate its SAT and ACT requirement after a review of the data on student performance.
- Several other selective colleges, including Dartmouth and Yale, announced a return to required testing in 2024, according to their admissions offices.
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that average reading and math scores for 17-year-olds have shown little improvement over decades.
What they will say next
"Wealth buys a higher score." It buys a modest advantage, and free test prep and school-day testing reduce the gap. Wealth also buys advantages in essays, recommendations and extracurricular activities that are harder to measure.
"Test-optional is more inclusive." In practice, more applicants send scores when they are good, which can leave those who withhold them with a weaker file. Some universities saw more variation among their students.
"Tests do not measure everything." True, and no one claims they do. They are one piece of evidence, and they hold up well.
"One test day is too high-stakes." Students can take the test more than once, and the best score counts at many schools.
A fair process relies on facts that can be compared.
"Test-optional policies increased applications from diverse students." They increased the number of applications, and many schools found that students who withheld scores did less well later. A policy that encourages applications and still uses tests as a tool seems to serve both goals.