UA lifts testing requirements for next year

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has decided to change some testing requirements to give prospective freshman more options for enrollment next year.

Suzanne McCray is the school’s top enrollment official. She told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an email that admission will be “test optional” for students with at least a 3.2 high school gradepoint average. These students will still need to take a standardized test “for placement purposes and to meet state reporting requirements,” she said.

“This has been a challenging time for high school seniors and testing has been problematic, so we have made changes in the admissions and scholarship review process for prospective students,” McCray said.

SAT and ACT testing center have closed or operating at a reduced capacity, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

“Many students have had a series of tests cancelled and have still not been able to test at all. This is causing them to look to schools allowing test optional opportunities,” McCray said.

Students from out of state won’t need a minimum ACT score to receive scholarship money, and some awards for in-state freshman will not require standardized test scores.

The university’s website shows that there is a “test flexible” policy for students with high school grade-point averages ranging from 2.75 to 3.19, who can provide scores from the Next Generation Accuplacer Test, which is offered online. Usually, students would need a 3.0 and a 20 on the ACT to be submitted.