University of Alabama System to reinstate SAT, ACT requirement
The University of Alabama System will again require SAT or ACT scores for admission, reversing its pandemic-era test-optional policy.
System officials say standardized tests help predict student success and retention.
The University of Alabama System will again require standardized tests in admissions, citing academic standards as the reason for the change.
The university system announced the change on Dec. 18, which will take effect for applicants beginning in August 2026. The university previously required SAT or ACT scores before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“We have found that standardized test scores provide valuable insight into academic success at our universities and as part of a holistic review process, serve as a predictor that is helpful to ensure the success of our students,” Tonjanita Johnson, the senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, said during a Dec. 18 Board of Trustees meeting, according to AL.com.
“Prior to the pandemic, UA had historically utilized the ACT/SAT score to support placement of incoming students in coursework in their first year,” the system says on its website. “The return to testing will ensure that all students will again have the most evidence-based support for advancement and graduation.”
“To ensure we are admitting students who can handle the rigor of our curriculum, we feel it best to include the test score as a part of our review, as the score provides some predictive power over first-year college GPA and first-to-second-year retention,” it continues.
The University of Alabama System has three campuses in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville.
Many colleges and universities ceased requiring SAT and ACT scores in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years, some of those schools have begun reinstating testing requirements, including Harvard University in August 2024, the University of Miami in January, and the University of Pennsylvania in February.
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Conservatives have criticized test-optional admissions policies, arguing the policies prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) over merit and academic achievement.
Georgia State University Professor and Campus Reform Higher Education Fellow Rob Jenkins wrote in 2022 that research shows that doing well on standardized tests correlates with academic success.
“To the equity crowd, though, the fact that some students outperform others on standardized exams merely proves the exams themselves are biased—especially if some of the students who don’t perform as well come from ‘underrepresented groups,’” Jenkins said.
“That hypothesis completely ignores other possible explanations for any discrepancies, such as cultural norms, family circumstances, economic status, and personal choices,” he added. “It also conveniently overlooks the fact that minority students with high test scores tend to do just as well in college as their white counterparts.”
Campus Reform contacted the University of Alabama System for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
