Assessment for Admission, Placement, and Outcomes in Higher Education
Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The role of standardized tests in U.S. higher education has undergone profound changes in the past few years as a result of COVID-19, the social justice movement, renewed legal challenges to affirmative action, and the continued trend toward test-optional policies. Together, these externalities have formed a near-perfect storm, which resulted in about 80% of 4-year institutions adopting a test-optional policy in 2024 in comparison to 15% of institutions in 2015. This chapter addresses three applications of standardized tests in higher education—use in admissions, placement, and outcomes assessment. The history, intended use, content, design, and volumes of U.S. assessments employed in admissions, placement, and outcome assessment are described, along with a discussion of the research on validity, reliability, and fairness. In 2025 the six most popular admissions tests described in this chapter have transitioned to digital delivery, with only the ACT offering a paper option for non-accommodated testing. Finally, alternatives to tests are discussed, as well as more recent external challenges to testing (e.g., University of California, Varsity Blues).
Source: Oxford University Press eBooks
Authors: Wayne J. Camara, Ou Lydia Liu, Krista Mattern
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7130503455