A Validation Review of the SAT and ACT for College and University Admissions Decisions - paper

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

In response to a call for research on using the SATs and ACTs for U.S.-based college and university admissions, researchers systematically interrogated the literature surrounding both tests using a validity-evidence framework grounded in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and Kane’s contemporary view of validity. The review drew on 72 peer-reviewed articles and produced mixed validity evidence. Results show strong psychometric properties; however, decision validity, especially for students from racial minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, remains a concern.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction and Background

SAT and ACT overview

Prior validity research

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 33 Number 28 April 22, 2025 ISSN 1068-2341 | | A Validation Review of the SAT and ACT for College and University Admissions Decisions Audrey Amrein-Beardsley Arizona State University Zarrina T. Azizova University of North Dakota Norman P. Gibbs Mesa Public Schools Chukwu(emeka) Ikegwuonu St. Cloud State University Jeongeun Kim University of Maryland, College Park Deborah Michele La Torre University of California, Los Angeles Matthew R. Lavery South Carolina Education Oversight Committee Margarita Pivovarova & Yi Zheng Arizona State University United States Citation: Amrein-Beardsley, A., Azizova, Z. T., Gibbs, N. P., Ikegwuonu, E., Kim, J., La Torre, D. M., Lavery, M. R., Pivovarova, M., & Zheng, Y. (2025) . A validation review of the SAT and ACT for college and university admissions decisions. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 33(28) . [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8734](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8734) Journal website: [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ ](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript)[ Manuscript](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript) received: 24/5/2024 Facebook: /EPAAA Revisions received: 10/2/2025 Twitter: @epaa_aape Accepted: 21/3/2025 Validation Review of the SAT and ACT for Admissions 2 Abstract: In response to a call for research on using the SATs and ACTs for U. S. -based college and university admissions, researchers systematically interrogated the literature surrounding both tests, using a framework for validity evidence built upon the Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing and Kane’s contemporary view of validity. Authors of the 72 peer-reviewed articles selected for this review provided mixed validity evidence. Results indicated that both tests are psychometrically strong. However, when they are put into practice, especially when important decisions are to be made using test output, the validity of the decisions derived using SAT and ACT output is, especially for students from racial minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, at issue. Keywords: admissions; assessment; educational policy; higher education; law/legal; test theory/development; validity/reliability Una revisión de validación del SAT y ACT para decisiones de admisión en universidades y colegios Resumen: En respuesta a una convocatoria de investigación sobre el uso del SAT y el ACT para la admisión en universidades y colegios en Estados Unidos, los investigadoresanalizaron sistemáticamente la literatura relacionada con ambas pruebas, utilizando un marco de evidencia de validez basado en los Estándares para pruebas educativas ypsicológicas y la perspectiva contemporánea de validez de Kane. Los autores de los 72 artículos revisados por pares seleccionados para esta revisión proporcionaron evidencia de validez variada. Los resultados indicaron que ambas pruebas son psicométricamentesólidas. Sin embargo, cuando se aplican en la práctica, especialmente cuando se toman decisiones importantes basadas en sus resultados, la validez de dichas decisiones, en particular para estudiantes de minorías raciales y con desventajas socioeconómicas, se poneen cuestión. Palabras-clave: admisiones; evaluación; política educativa; educación superior; derecho/legal; teoría del test/desarrollo; validez/confiabilidad Uma revisão de validação do SAT e ACT para decisões de admissão em faculdadese universidades Resumo: Em resposta a um chamado por pesquisas sobre o uso do SAT e ACT para admissão em faculdades e universidades nos Estados Unidos, os pesquisadores analisaram sistematicamente a literatura relacionada a ambos os testes, utilizando uma estrutura deevidência de validade baseada nos Padrões para Testes Educacionais e Psicológicos e navisão contemporânea de validade de Kane. Os autores dos 72 artigos revisados p

FAQs

What prompted the study of SAT and ACT validity for admissions decisions?

The review was conducted in response to a research call about using SAT and ACT scores in U.S. college and university admissions decisions.

How was validity evaluated in the reviewed literature?

Researchers applied a validity-evidence framework based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and Kane’s contemporary view of validity.

What did the findings suggest about the SAT and ACT?

Both tests were found to be psychometrically strong, but the validity of admissions decisions derived from their outputs—particularly for racial minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students—was questioned.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda