A Test for the Test Makers: College Board and Act Move to Grow and Diversify as the Pandemic Fuels Test-Optional Admissions Trend

Test-optional and test-blind admissions policies accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic would appear to imperil College Board's SAT college-entrance exam, the rival ACT, and their respective parent organizations. This state of affairs follows years of complaints that the exams favor the affluent. And, in fact, both of the notoriously secretive testing companies face significant problems, including some not widely understood. Reports of their demise, however, may be premature. Just because many colleges have stopped requiring the tests doesn't mean students have stopped taking them. Even if the number of test takers does drop permanently, this article examines how both the College Board and ACT have been quietly preparing for that possibility by finding new markets, introducing more products, and doubling down on the most successful of their existing services.