Inequity in “Standardized” Tests

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 75% of colleges across the country have instituted a test-optional policy 2021-2022 admissions cycle, including highly selective schools such as Princeton, Harvard, and MIT. However, in recent years, college admissions exams such as the SAT and ACT have been under scrutiny due to claims that the tests are racist and classist. In theory, the SAT is an objective way for admissions officers to gauge the relative success of high school students when they enter college. With curriculums and academic standards differing vastly from district to district, SAT scores are supposed to serve as a benchmark for academic readiness. In reality, the SAT is an indicator of the socioeconomic status of a student rather than their ability to perform well in school.

The racial and economic bias of the SAT can be clearly seen when looking at the correlation between score, race, and income. According to data released by the College Board, Asian and white students consistently outdo other racial minorities in terms of their performance on the SAT. On average, white and Asian students have a composite score of about 1170, in comparison to Black and Latino students who on average score 970. This 200 point disparity has nothing to do with the intelligence of Black and Latino students, but everything to do with socioeconomic status. Furthermore, high-scoring students are more likely to come from financially well-off, educated families. A 2018 study found that students whose parents received no high school diploma earned a mean score of 940 while students whose parents went on to receive a graduate degree earned a median score of 1200. Corollary with these findings, students whose family income is less than 30,000 USD per year scored lowest on the test while students whose families earned more than 200,000 USSD scored highest.

This discrepancy is largely attributed to test preparation. For example, financially stable families have the means to send their children to expensive SAT classes while low-income families do not. Furthermore, low income students may not have enough time on their hands to self-study due to part-time jobs they take on to relieve some of the financial burden of their families. This difference in test scores may also be due to stereotype threat. According to research found in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reminding minority groups of their racial identity before they have to take a test can significantly affect their performance. These stereotypes include ideas that certain groups of people are good/bad at math.

Clearly, this is an extremely complex issue in which multiple factors must be considered. Even so, it remains clear that standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT aren’t adequate indicators of college readiness. One study examined the performance of college students who submitted test scores in comparison to those who didn’t and found that there was no significant difference in their GPAs. The SAT is an outdated system of measuring intellectual capacity and universities are starting to realize this. In May of 2020, the University of California Board of Regents voted to permanently eliminate SAT and ACT requirements for incoming students. But this isn’t enough; it is necessary for universities across the country to start lifting standardized testing requirements in order to bridge America’s growing wealth-gap and move towards a more equitable future.