Higher education institutions are continuously evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of test optional policies. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a drastic shift in over 2,000 institutions moving to test optional admissions practices. Proponents of test optional policies believe that SAT and ACT scores do not show the strengths of applicants but rather leads them to not apply to institutions that require these scores, ultimately impacting diversity in the applicant pool. Advocates of standardized tests believe that test scores indicate prospective students’ academic success and preparedness. Importantly, institutions that are currently test optional have reported no impact on student retention.
