[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-267960-105":59,"doc-detail-267960-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","proposed-test-optional-policy-executive-summary-background-and-admissions-decision","Proposed Test-Optional Policy - Executive Summary, Background, and Admissions Decision","","Proposed Test-Optional Policy evaluates adopting a permanent test-optional admissions approach for incoming students at Westmont College. The executive summary ties the recommendation to COVID-19 disruption, ongoing research scrutiny of standardized testing for fairness and efficacy, peer institutions’ already adopted policies, and market pressure from California public systems dropping test requirements. Background reviews pandemic impacts in 2020–2022 and prior challenges to standardized exams. Committee research analyzes admission records and highlights advanced coursework as a leading indicator.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/proposed-test-optional-policy-executive-summary-background-and-admissions-decision/267960/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/proposed-test-optional-policy-executive-summary-background-and-admissions-decision/267960.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Dipper","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-14",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why does Westmont’s Admissions and Retention Committee propose a permanent test-optional policy?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The proposal responds to questions about the efficacy and equity of standardized testing, actions taken by sister colleges, and market pressure as California systems drop testing requirements.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How did Westmont implement test-optional admissions during the pandemic?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"With COVID-19 limiting testing in early spring 2020, Westmont instituted test-optional admissions for fall 2021, allowing students without exam access to be considered, and extended the approach to the high school class of 2022.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What leading indicators did the committee examine for admissions decisions?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The committee reviewed records for first-year students entering fall 2016–2020 and analyzed correlations between high school information and success, focusing on predictors such as GPA, academic rigor, and especially advanced coursework like AP or IB.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},267960,1789427041,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":143},1374404997633,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Proposed Test-Optional Policy  \nPrepared by the Admissions and Retention Committee, spring 2022  \nExecutive Summary  \nThe COVID-19 pandemic closed many testing centers and prompted Westmont to adopt as an expediency a test-optional admission policy for the incoming classes of fall 2021 and fall 2022. Now, due to ( 1) scrutiny of the efficacy and equity of standardized testing for college admissions, (2) test-optional policies already adopted or under consideration at Westmont’s sister colleges and (3) the strong market pressure brought on by the removal of testing requirements in the California state university systems, the Admissions and Retention Committee proposes that Westmont adopt a permanent test-optional policy for admission. This policy would enable students to decide whether to submit SAT or ACT scores to support their application for admission. The Admissions Office believes it will still possess ample data points with which to assess a student’s preparedness for Westmont College.  \nBackground  \nWith the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early spring 2020 , standardized testing across the United States became unavailable to the majority of high school students. While the bulk of students applying for admission for the fall of 2020 had already taken their exams, the dearth of testing options greatly affected the high school classes of 2021 and, subsequently, 2022. As a result, the Admissions Office quickly made the decision, with approval from the executive team, to institute a test-optional policy for fall 2021 , meaning that students unable to take an exam could still be considered for admission. Students who had been able to take the exam were given the option of submitting scores. This proved a wise move, as just 30 percent of our fall 2021 applicants submitted any test score at all (SAT or ACT) . As the pandemic lingered, it became evident that the policy would have to be extended to the high school class of 2022 , as well. To date, just 22 percent of fall 2022 applicants have asked to have their application reviewed with test scores. Further, none of Westmont’s sister colleges in California have required standardized testing as an admission requirement for either fall 2021 or fall 2022. This includes Point Loma Nazarene University, Pepperdine University, Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.  \nEven prior to the onset of the pandemic, standardized testing’s supposed value to the college admission process was under attack. In May 2020 , the University of California ( UC) adopted a plan to replace the SAT or ACT with its own exam as an admission requirement by 2024. 1 Subsequently, UC elected to forego any standardized exam for undergraduate admission.2 More recently, the California State University (CSU) system has also elected to drop testing  \n1 “University of California to drop SAT, ACT test requirements,” Associated Press, May 21 , 2020 , [https://apnews.com/article/89e2fe1053af2d0f2f6e88135cd595e2](https://apnews.com/article/89e2fe1053af2d0f2f6e88135cd595e2) .  \n2 Teresa Watanabe, “UC slams the door on standardized admissions tests, nixing any SAT alternative,”LA Times , November 18 , 2021 ,  \n[https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-18/uc-slams-door-on-sat-and-all-standardized-admission](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-18/uc-slams-door-on-sat-and-all-standardized-admission)[s-tests?utm_id=42788&sfmc_id=2422861.](s-tests?utm_id=42788&sfmc_id=2422861.)  \nrequirements for admission.3 The shifts in the state systems alone have the real potential to dramatically shift student expectations around admission requirements at colleges in California. If these two major drivers of student behavior are no longer requiring standardized exams for admission, it would put Westmont at a severe disadvantage in the market.  \nThe Committee’s Work  \nOver the last several months, the Admissions and Retention Committee has been exploring the issues related to a test-optional policy. The Committee","cbCaieW2tlDt1yXM","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieW2tlDt1yXM","pdf",99072,"English","# Executive Summary\n## Background\n## The Committee’s Work\n## Leading Indicators and the Admissions Decision","[{\"question\":\"Why does Westmont’s Admissions and Retention Committee propose a permanent test-optional policy?\",\"answer\":\"The proposal responds to questions about the efficacy and equity of standardized testing, actions taken by sister colleges, and market pressure as California systems drop testing requirements.\"},{\"question\":\"How did Westmont implement test-optional admissions during the pandemic?\",\"answer\":\"With COVID-19 limiting testing in early spring 2020, Westmont instituted test-optional admissions for fall 2021, allowing students without exam access to be considered, and extended the approach to the high school class of 2022.\"},{\"question\":\"What leading indicators did the committee examine for admissions decisions?\",\"answer\":\"The committee reviewed records for first-year students entering fall 2016–2020 and analyzed correlations between high school information and success, focusing on predictors such as GPA, academic rigor, and especially advanced coursework like AP or IB.\"}]","Proposed Test-Optional Policy - Executive Summary, Background, and Admissions Decision | PDF",15]