BOISE, Idaho — Idaho State Board of Education unanimously voted Thursday to forgo entrance exams to universities and colleges for the class of 2022.
The new rule change proposed by the board is pending before the Idaho Legislature this session. Under the new rule, high school students from the 2022 class won't be required to take admission exams like the ACT (American College Testing) and SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) to enter any Idaho university or college.
The new rule was waived in 2020 and 2021 because of pandemic conditions, and Idaho students were required to take either the SAT or the ACT. Most high school juniors take the SAT because a state contract provides that test to students for free.
In June of 2021, the board dropped college entrance exams as a statewide requirement for state colleges and universities, and the required test has questionable value for assessing Idaho high school students’ college readiness relative to their peers across the nation.
Board member and Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sherri Ybarra, advocates for the permanent removal of the exam requirement.
“Idaho students’ SAT performance is hard to compare to results in other states, where the test is optional and therefore only taken by motivated students who prepare for the exam,” Ybarra said. “Idaho students, too, should have the option.”
Ybarra said the exam shouldn't be a graduation requirement, but it should be available to all students who choose to take it.