Nation’s largest four-year university system drops SAT, ACT from admission requirements

California State University, the nation’s largest four-year university system, announced Wednesday that its board of trustees voted to drop ACT and SAT testing requirements from its admission requirements.

The California university system had already dropped standardized testing requirements for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and its desire to avoid harming students interested in applying for admission.

“This decision aligns with the California State University’s continued efforts to level the playing field and provide greater access to a high-quality college degree for students from all backgrounds,” acting Chancellor Steve Relyea said in a statement.

“In essence, we are eliminating our reliance on a high-stress, high-stakes test that has shown negligible benefit and providing our applicants with greater opportunities to demonstrate their drive, talents and potential for college success.”

The development comes as colleges and organizations rethink college admission requirements amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put a further spotlight on inequities faced among students as classrooms closed and resources, once present, became out of reach for some.

The College Board announced in January that its SAT test would be going digital and would last two hours, instead of three, with more time devoted to each question.

Seeking to make the test more relevant, the College Board said that the reading passages would be shorter and more reflective of the types of works students were reading in school.