Why Not All Standardized Tests Are Created Equal (and What to Look For)

In a test-optional world, the value of a standardized test lies in its ability to provide a fair, objective look at a student’s postsecondary skill level and readiness. However, not all tests meet the same standards, so it’s important to understand what separates a high-quality assessment from the rest.

What Defines a Strong Standardized Test?

A high-quality test should include:

• Validity and reliability: It accurately measures what students know, should know, and can predict future success in high school, college, and career. It is also backed by research, and delivers valuable data as a useful educator resource.
• Fairness and accessibility: All students, regardless of background, should have an equal opportunity to prepare for, access, and take a test that reflects their experiences.
• Transparent and useful scoring: Score reports should be easy to interpret and allow for valid comparisons to other tests.
• Security and consistency: To uphold the integrity of test administrations and discourage cheating, testing conditions and scoring must be reliable and secure.

These principles ensure that test results are meaningful, valid, and trustworthy.

Built on Ongoing Research

Strong assessments are grounded in continuous research. For example, ACT regularly conducts studies to confirm that its scores align with the standards needed for college and career success.

Even when test enhancements are thoughtfully executed, extensive research ensures the exam remains just as rigorous and aligned with established readiness standards. Improvement without compromising quality or validity ensures test trustworthiness from those who take the test to those who use the data to inform decisions.

Aligned with What Students Actually Learn

A good test reflects real classroom learning. The ACT, for instance, is based on the skills and knowledge students gain in high school and need for college.

This alignment benefits more than just test-takers. The data derived from test scores can be used to better understand student progress, inform curriculum, and adjust instruction, making the test a useful resource beyond college admissions.

To maintain the integrity of this correlation, ACT utilizes the findings from the ACT National Curriculum Survey to inform test content, ensuring the assessment accurately reflects what students are learning in school.

Designed to Reduce Bias and Increase Access

Fairness is intentionally built into high-quality tests and is a fundamental principle for ACT. This includes:

• Reviewing questions to ensure there isn’t any language bias.
• Ensuring questions measure only the intended skill (e.g., reducing reading complexity in math problems so test-takers can focus on demonstrating the math skill being assessed).
• Testing and removing questions that may advantage certain groups over others to ensure test forms are balanced across factors such as culture, gender, and life experiences.

Access also matters. Programs like school-day, district-funded testing, and the ACT Fee Waiver program help reduce barriers such as cost and transportation, making testing accessibility more equitable. Offering paper test administrations can provide an option for those students with limited internet access or in geographically remote locations.

Ensuring Score Comparability

The ability to transparently compare scores across different tests or formats is another key feature to look for in a quality standardized test. ACT uses concordance tables to link its scores with other assessments, but this only works when both tests meet similar standards of rigor.

Without this level of comparability, score differences can be misleading and reduce confidence in the results.

Reliability and Test Security

Consistency is critical. A reliable test produces dependable results across different testing conditions and administrations, fostering trust in scores and data.

Security is also essential. While some newer models rely solely on remote or AI-based proctoring, this can introduce challenges. A balanced approach – combining human oversight with technology – helps maintain both accuracy and fairness.

A Note on New Testing Alternatives

As new assessments emerge, innovation can be valuable, but only if established industry standards and quality are maintained. Any new test should meet the same expectations:

• Proven validity and reliability
• Assessment of objectively relevant content based on established curriculum
• Fairness across diverse student populations
• Transparent research supporting its claims

Strong assessments are academically relevant, predictive of college and career readiness, and evidence based.

The Bottom Line

An effective, standardized test is distinguished by how well it demonstrates validity, rigor, fairness, and transparency — qualities backed by evidentiary research. For ACT, these principles are not just aspirational; they’re operational.

When these elements are in place, test scores become more than just numbers; they become meaningful indicators of a student’s readiness for college, career, and beyond.