Test-optional is an admissions policy under which applicants may choose whether to submit standardized test scores; applications without scores are given full consideration.
How it works
The institution publishes its test-optional policy. Applicants decide whether to submit scores. If scores are submitted, they are considered alongside other materials. If scores are not submitted, the file is reviewed without them. Scholarship matrices may still list score thresholds for automatic awards; applicants who want those awards must submit official scores. The policy applies to the admission decision itself.
Example: an online bachelor’s program is test-optional. An applicant with a 3.5 GPA submits no SAT score and is admitted on the strength of the academic record. Another applicant submits a high SAT score and receives both admission and an automatic merit scholarship that requires a score.
How it differs
Test-required policies mandate scores for a complete application. Test-blind policies ignore scores. Open admission may not require tests because it does not use competitive criteria. Test-optional sits between required and blind: scores are welcome but not necessary for admission.
Common errors
Assuming test-optional means scores are never useful (they may unlock scholarships). Submitting scores to a test-blind institution and expecting them to be considered. Failing to check whether a specific program inside a test-optional institution still requires scores.
References
- 1. Institutional test-optional policiesScope and scholarship implications
- 2. FairTest and policy summariesPrevalence of test-optional policies
Test-optional is an admissions policy under which applicants may choose whether to submit standardized test scores; applications without scores are given full consideration.