This informal CPD article ‘US Universities: Test-Optional and Test-Flexible policies’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
US University testing
One major difference between US and UK university applications has historically been that US universities require standardised admissions tests, e.g. the SAT or ACT. These multiple-choice tests focus on English and maths skills and are different from any exams UK students will have taken. However, during the pandemic, these testing requirements were dropped by most US colleges, due to access issues. Immediately after the pandemic, it was unclear whether colleges would reinstate these requirements, especially as some people believed that the tests were a barrier to equity. However, in 2024 many popular US universities—including Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale—reinstated their testing requirements.
Somewhat confusingly, all colleges returning to testing have not necessarily made submitting test scores a requirement, and phrases like ‘test-flexible,’ ‘test-blind,’ and ‘test-recommended’ have entered the lexicon. It’s good for schools and counsellors to have an understanding of this terminology—and what colleges really mean by these terms—so they can make sure students make informed decisions.
Testing terminology
If a university states that it requires testing, that is the clearest terminology of all! Where things get a bit more ambiguous are with policies like test-optional or test-flexible. Test-optional means that it is up to the applicant whether they submit test scores. Sometimes, test-optional universities will issue a statement like ‘not submitting scores will not hurt students’ chances of admission.’ This may be true, but if a student does have good test scores, submitting them will still help their applications! It’s good to keep in mind as well the context of test score submission. Many US applicants from the UK, particularly those attending independent schools, will be submitting good test scores.
If a university is test-flexible, this means that students may have the option of submitting other test scores (like predicted or final A-Level or IB scores) in lieu of SAT or ACT scores. For example, Yale’s testing policy is as follows: ‘Yale requires all first-year and transfer applicants to submit standardized test scores. Applicants choose which scores to include from four options: ACT, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), SAT.’ However, this policy illustrates that there can be some complexities to test-flexible approaches. UK students in the IB programme might be tempted to avoid the SAT and ACT, but they must note that they can only use final IB scores to apply, not predicted scores. Not testing, therefore, would only suit those students intending to take a gap year before attending university.
Another testing stance is test-recommended. If a university recommends testing, one can typically read between the lines to infer that applicants should have good test scores if they intend to apply to that university, particularly if it is a competitive university. To assess whether a student’s test scores would be considered ‘good’ for a specific university, do an online search for that university’s freshman profile. This will show the scores of successful applicants in a percentile range from 25%-75%.
On the other side of the spectrum are test-blind universities, like the Universities of California group that includes UC Berkeley and UCLA. These colleges, unlike test-optional institutions, will not consider test scores, even if they are submitted. Students applying to test-blind institutions can redirect their focus to other parts of the application, like recommendations, essays, and extracurriculars, which can be beneficial to students who may not test well.
Guidance for Students on Testing Strategies
As you can see, testing terminology and nuance can be complex, even for experts! When advising students, it is good practice to recommend that they plan to prepare for and sit the tests. This will set them in good stead to have a wide range of institutions to choose from when making their college lists and also reduce stress in case more test-optional institutions change back to requiring testing.
Note: this article is up to date as of January 2025, and individual universities’ testing policies are subject to change.
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