[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-267548-105":59,"doc-detail-267548-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","why-college-admissions-should-remain-test-optionaltest-free-despite-what-the-new-york-times-says","WHY COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SHOULD REMAIN TEST OPTIONAL/TEST FREE - Despite What The New York Times Says","","This FairTest report deconstructs and responds to the New York Times “news analysis” on admissions testing policies while compiling studies, data, arguments, and practical resources supporting test-optional/test-free college admissions. It examines the logic behind SAT/ACT testing, questions claims of validity and equity, and analyzes how these exams function as mechanisms that reflect existing privilege and advantage in the American education pipeline.",{"@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":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/why-college-admissions-should-remain-test-optionaltest-free-despite-what-the-new-york-times-says/267548/",{"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/why-college-admissions-should-remain-test-optionaltest-free-despite-what-the-new-york-times-says/267548.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Alex Sinclair","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-14",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":52},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the main purpose of this FairTest report?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It deconstructs and responds to a New York Times analysis of admissions testing policies, while presenting research and arguments in favor of test-optional/test-free college admissions.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What does the report argue the SAT/ACT actually measures?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It contends the tests are unclear in what they truly measure, but they emphasize timed performance, knowledge tied to specific school curricula, reading comprehension, and some analytical and language understanding.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What core concern does the report raise about using standardized tests for admissions?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It argues that SAT/ACT results strongly correlate with existing life station—family income, wealth, and parental education—making the exams effective for sustaining an elitist “meritocracy” rather than identifying broader potential.","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},267548,1789421122,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":52,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},1099523882182,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","WHY COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SHOULD REMAIN TEST OPTIONAL/TEST FREE  \n(Despite What The New York Times Says)  \nAbstract  \nThis FairTest report both deconstructs and responds to the New York Times “news analysis” on admissions testing policies AND presents a collection of studies, data, arguments, and resources in support of test optional/test free college admissions.  \nHarry Feder, Executive Director  \n[harry@fairtest.org](harry@fairtest.org)  \nAkil Bello, Senior Director [akil@fairtest.org](akil@fairtest.org)  \nThe Ontology of College Admissions Exams .....................................................................................2  \nThe Predictive Power of the SAT (“The Validity Claim”) .............................................................. 4  \nValid for Whom and for What...................................................................................................................... 9  \nThe Veneer of Objectivity Problem ......................................................................................................... 11  \nThe Diamonds in the Rough (“The Equity Claim”) ...................................................................... 13  \nTest-Optional Means “Diamonds in the Rough” Can still Be Found ............................................. 17  \nThe Equity Problem of Other Criteria .................................................................................................... 18  \nConclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 19  \nTHE ONTOLOGY OF COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EXAMS  \nThe adoption of test optional and test free admissions policies by nearly 90% of four-year colleges is a clear financial threat to the College Board, ACT, and all others who feed off the admissions testing beast. Thus, it should come as no shock that those vested interests would engage in a public relations campaign to prop up the franchise. What is disturbing is that the American paper of record would so brazenly join the campaign. So before dissecting and refuting the advocacy of David Leonhardt’s January 7, 2024 New York Times “news analysis”(and the various lower grade apologists for the tests that have and will continue to come in its wake), I think it’s important to discuss a deeper ontological question: Why does the SAT (and ACT) exist? And why is it being hawked on the front page of the New York Times?  \nThe premise of the SAT is to sort and funnel talent into the finishing grounds of the American “meritocracy.”The argument for the test as a requirement is that it: a) accurately predicts “merit”(we’ll call that the “validity claim”); and b) provides an avenue for talented members of the underclass to have access to the benefits of training to be a part of the leadership class of society (we’ll call that the “equity claim”) . I will for the time being skip over the eugenicist origins of standardized testing1, its historic racism and classism and simply focus on these two current claims.  \nThe validity claim is dependent on two ideas. First, that there is an objective idea of merit that warrants granting an individual a pathway to higher learning and status. This of course presupposes the notion that the granting of the privilege of “elite” higher learning is one to be rationed to only the “deserving”, rather than one that should be broadly available to all who seek it. That is a deeply flawed premise. But if we are going to create a meritocratic hierarchy, we want to have the best and brightest on top.  \nWhat does the SAT (for this report we mostly focus on the SAT but the critiquesand descriptions also largely apply to the ACT) actually test? Unclear. It certainly tests performance speed as it is timed and ifyou don’t move fairly rapidly from question to question you won’t do well. It tests knowledge of certain mathematical concepts that test makers presuppose were learned in middle and high school. (Thus, t","cbCaibNI7FPBqHN7","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibNI7FPBqHN7","pdf",476916,25,"English","# The Ontology of College Admissions Exams\n## The Predictive Power of the SAT (“The Validity Claim”)\n## Valid for Whom and for What\n## The Veneer of Objectivity Problem\n## The Diamonds in the Rough (“The Equity Claim”)\n## Test-Optional Means “Diamonds in the Rough” Can still Be Found\n## The Equity Problem of Other Criteria\n# Conclusion","[{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of this FairTest report?\",\"answer\":\"It deconstructs and responds to a New York Times analysis of admissions testing policies, while presenting research and arguments in favor of test-optional/test-free college admissions.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the report argue the SAT/ACT actually measures?\",\"answer\":\"It contends the tests are unclear in what they truly measure, but they emphasize timed performance, knowledge tied to specific school curricula, reading comprehension, and some analytical and language understanding.\"},{\"question\":\"What core concern does the report raise about using standardized tests for admissions?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that SAT/ACT results strongly correlate with existing life station—family income, wealth, and parental education—making the exams effective for sustaining an elitist “meritocracy” rather than identifying broader potential.\"}]","WHY COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SHOULD REMAIN TEST OPTIONAL/TEST FREE - Despite What The New York Times Says | PDF",63]