In lieu of COVID-related postponements or cancellations of standardized tests, a greater number of schools have announced they won’t require future applicants to submit test scores with their applications. While some are saying this is a temporary revision to the process, other schools are calling it a pilot program for the next few years.

Seventy-two percent of colleges and universities adopted test-optional policies for the 2021-22 school year, and some schools are now extending that policy for the next one to two years, indicates IvyWise, an educational consulting company. Some of the schools that have suspended the SAT and ACT requirements, at least for the time being, include Cornell University, Penn State, Williams College, Amherst College, Boston College, and Columbia University.

Many students have been hit hard by the pandemic and removing testing requirements means they do not have to face another challenge, especially in light of reduced testing capacities and a scarcity of test availability. The education and school resource Grown and Flown says a surprising side effect of test-optional amendments at selective universities is that applications have increased. Harvard announced it received more than 57,000 applications for the college class of 2025, which marks a 42 percent increase from the previous year.

Schools have modified admissions requirements in recent months, including removing standardized test scores from the equation. It is always wise to consult with the admissions department of schools to learn if their admissions requirements have been updated.