Standardized admissions tests like the SAT, ACT, LSAT, and GMAT are highly reliable and reflect major investments in test design. When tests align with a college's learning experiences, scores help predict which students will succeed in challenging programs and efficiently distinguish among many applicants. High scores indicate possession of the tested knowledge and can reveal students who may underperform on other measures but excel academically. Lower scores can result from many factors beyond ability. Persistent sex, race, and cultural differences affect scores. Admissions decisions work best when standardized tests are one tool within a broader battery of measures.
The standardized tests used for college admissions-tests like the SAT, ACT, LSAT, and GMAT-are some of the most reliable measurement instruments available. They reflect an enormous investment of expertise, time, and money-the gold standard of test design. If there's a good match between a standardized test and the learning experiences a college provides, test scores can provide valuable information on which students are likely to do best in a challenging college program.
A high score on a standardized test means a student has acquired the knowledge that's being tested. Sometimes, test scores can highlight students who don't do well in other ability measures like academic grades, interviews, and essays, but who can excel in a college setting. Standardized test scores are thus reliable and efficient in differentiating students by ability. But that doesn't mean they make the best admissions decisions.
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