The Universities of Wisconsin system may soon close the chapter on standardized testing

The Universities of Wisconsin system may soon close the chapter on standardized testing for good, as administrators evaluate a proposal to permanently eliminate ACT and SAT requirements for all undergraduate applicants.

The system, which serves roughly 160,000 students across 13 universities, originally suspended the testing requirement in 2020 due to pandemic-related disruptions. After extending the temporary waiver multiple times, university leaders are now weighing whether to abandon the requirements entirely, joining hundreds of higher education institutions nationwide that have adopted permanent test-optional policies.

According to internal system memos, a committee of admissions officers and administrators has been analyzing applicant data from the last six years. Initial findings suggest that high school grade point averages (GPAs) and the rigor of secondary coursework remain the strongest predictors of first-year college success, rendering the standardized tests largely redundant.

"Our goal is to reduce barriers for talented students across the state, particularly those from rural areas, low-income households, and underrepresented backgrounds," said Dr. Elena Vance, a senior policy analyst specializing in higher education access. "The data shows that a student's four-year high school career tells a much more accurate story than a single Saturday morning exam."

The shift to test-optional admissions has gained massive momentum over the last decade, accelerated by the pandemic. Advocates for the change argue that standardized tests heavily favor affluent students who can afford expensive test-preparation courses and private tutoring. By removing the requirement, proponents believe UW campuses will see a more diverse pool of applicants.

However, the proposal is not without its detractors. Some faculty members and lawmakers express concern that eliminating a standardized metric will make it more difficult to compare students coming from different high schools with varying grading standards.

"Standardized tests, for all their flaws, provide a uniform benchmark," said Mark Lindgren, a representative for a regional coalition of educators. "Without them, admissions counselors have to rely more heavily on qualitative factors like essays and recommendation letters, which can introduce subjective bias and increase the workload on already strained admissions offices."

If approved, the individual campuses, including the flagship University of Wisconsin-Madison, would retain the autonomy to decide exactly how they evaluate applications without test scores, though the overarching system mandate requiring the tests would be wiped from the books. UW-Madison has already operated under a holistic review process during the waiver period, focusing heavily on leadership, extracurricular involvement, and personal essays alongside academic records.

A final vote on the policy by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents is expected during their upcoming quarterly meeting. The upcoming meeting of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents is scheduled for September 17, 2026, and will be held via Videoconference.

If passed, the policy change would take effect immediately, solidifying a new era for higher education in the state.