In 1933, the president of Harvard University first used scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, as a factor in deciding which students would receive scholarships. He believed the test would provide a standardized way to assess students’ intelligence. Over time, standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT were widely adopted by U.S. colleges and universities as a requirement on college applications. The test scores provide an easy way to quickly compare large numbers of applicants.

Decades later, people generally agree that a person’s intelligence cannot be easily assessed. Instead, many argue that scores on standardized tests reflect a student’s opportunities to learn in school and at home, not intelligence. The organizations that formulate these exams no longer claim that the tests assess intelligence either. But they do say the scores are valuable because they correspond to how students are likely to do in college and even later in life. Thus, many people believe that these tests are a clear and fair criterion for college admission. They say that the only way to compare different students is if they all receive a standard test with the same types of questions.

Some people argue that standardized tests are biased or unfair and should no longer be an application requirement. Data show students from wealthier families have higher average scores. More privileged students may have advantages, such as access to better schools. They may also have access to better tutoring, support, and other test preparation resources. There are also clear differences between average scores for Asian, White, Latino, and Black students, raising the possibility of racial bias. Critics of the tests suggest that other criteria, such as grades, volunteering, essays, and interviews, are fairer standards for admissions.

On the other side, advocates of standardized tests argue that they are still more objective than other admissions criteria. Some high schools offer fewer sports, clubs, and other programs, so students may have fewer activities on their applications for reasons out of their control. Further, some high schools are much harder than others, and some teachers have higher standards for grading. Also, grades and essays can be improved through coaching and tutoring, just like standardized test scores. Without standardized tests, it may be even easier for families to improve their children’s chances for college admissions.

In the 2000s, some colleges began trying out a “test-optional” policy. This policy allows students to choose whether to submit their standardized test scores with their college applications. By 2025, around 80 percent of U.S. colleges either had test-optional policies or did not consider test scores at all. This included some prestigious schools, such as the University of Chicago and Wake Forest University.

What do you think? Should colleges make standardized tests optional for admissions? Are there better criteria for assessing college-readiness? Or are these exams a fair way to compare many different applicants?