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Introduction
Test-flexible admissions policies are a subset of the broader "test-optional policy" agenda, which seeks to deemphasize the use of standardized entrance exams (e.g., SAT and ACT) for admission to postsecondary colleges and universities in the United States. However, whereas test-optional policies remove standardized test scores universally for all applicants, test-flexible policies are unique in that only applicants who meet specific requirements may apply without submitting test scores (Belasco, Rosinger, & Hearn, 2014; Syverson, 2007). Examples of criteria requirements to qualify under test-flexible policies include a minimum high school grade point average and/or ranking among the graduating high school class, as well as involvement in extracurricular activities and service experiences. Test-flexible policies also tend to allow qualifying applicants to ultimately decide whether to submit their standardized test scores, which provides the student the opportunity to decide whether their score is representative of their abilities or not. Considering that both test-optional and test-flexible policies share the purpose of waiving the often controversial standardized testing requirement, a motivating goal for institutions adopting these policies often centers on increasing opportunities for college access among students who tend to underperform on these high stakes exams.
In particular, despite standardized admissions testing's original intention to provide a "'common currency' that allows admissions officers… to place students on the same footing" (Garvey, 1981, p. 1) when applying to college, there have been concerns of bias against student populations traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Specifically, previous research suggests that students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic populations in higher education (e.g., Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander students), first generation college students, and students from lower socioeconomic levels tend to attain lower scores on standardized tests than their majority and more affluent peers (Atkinson, 2001; Blau, Moller, & Jones, 2004; Camara & Schmidt, 1999; Crouse & Trusheim, 1988; Fleming, 2002; Freedle, 2003; Geiser & Studley, 2002; Hoffman & Lowitzki, 2005; Jencks, 1998; Zwick, 2002; Zwick & Green, 2007). Some have attributed this discrepancy to an unequal access to resources, such as costly preparatory courses and private tutors, and more fundamental exam-level factors, including the vocabulary used and phrasing of questions (Balf, 2014; Kapor & Klein, 2007; Rosner, 2012; Soares, 2012; Zwick, 2004). From this view, test performance does not measure...