On the Utility, Fairness of Standardized Tests for College Admissions

Janet Napolitano responds to a question while appearing before a Joint Legislative Audit Committee in Sacramento, Calif., on May 2, 2017. The University of California will drop the SAT and ACT tests as admission requirements through 2024 and eliminate them for California residents after that, a landmark decision by the prestigious university system. The UC’s governing body, the Board of Regents, voted 23–0 May 21, 2020, to approve a proposal by Napolitano that phases the tests out over five years, at which point the UC aims to have developed its own test. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

Commentary

The long-established use of standardized tests (the SAT and ACT) as a major criterion for gaining admission to college is increasingly being questioned or rejected.