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NCAA Standardized Test Score Task Force

The NCAA Eligibility Center, in collaboration with the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics and the NCAA Division II Academic Requirements Committee, will facilitate a review of legislation and policy governing the use of standardized test scores (ACT/SAT) as part of NCAA initial-eligibility requirements.  This review will be conducted consistent with the committees’ authority and oversight of Division I and Division II academic matters.

The NCAA Standardized Test Score Task Force is charged with conducting this review.  Recommended changes to NCAA legislation, if any, will be shared by the task force with the respective governance committees and the task force will assist, as requested, in the development of any corresponding legislative proposals for each division.

More details about the need for the task force and the intended nature and scope of its efforts are outlined below. 

  1. Initiatives to advance racial equity. The SAT and ACT have historically played an important role in college and university admissions requirements.  However, the equity and accessibility impact of relying on test scores as part of admissions decisions has been a growing topic of debate across student populations and with various advocacy groups.  In 2020, the NCAA  identified eight action items designed to address racial justice and equity at the National Office and to foster a culture that advances racial equity within its membership. Review of initial-eligibility requirements and specifically the role of standardized tests is identified as one of the action items. 
  2. Higher education’s shifting position on standardized tests for admissions processes. While colleges and universities have historically relied on SAT and ACT scores to evaluate applicants as part of the admissions process, there has been growing momentum in recent years toward test-optional admissions and a more holistic review of a prospective student’s academic credentials.   Since the onset of the pandemic, many institutions have indicated that standardized test scores would not be required for students applying to enter fall 2021. Some institutions have announced the adoption of temporary, and in some cases permanent, test-optional policies or multi-year pilot programs.
  3. Ongoing NCAA Standards Evaluation. Given the continually evolving landscape of education, the NCAA engages in regular monitoring and assessment of membership academic data to evaluate the effectiveness of its related eligibility standards. Assessments related to the predictive validity of the current SAT and ACT and the corresponding reliability of the published ACT-SAT concordance table for NCAA initial eligibility determinations are a part of these efforts and data from these studies will help inform task force conversations.

Recommendations will be developed in an inclusive manner, encouraging input from a broad cross-section of the NCAA membership, and brought forward for consideration through the NCAA governance process.

Task Force Resources:

Task Force Proceedings: