More Than A Score : Examining Racial Bias in Graduate Admissions Testing

The standardized, traditionally used admissions tests (i.e., GRE, LSAT, MCAT) for graduate school have been identified as racially biased. The present review explores the implications of using these tests for admission (Gomez et al., 2021; Hill, 2020; Gustafson et al., 2023). These tests are an important part of applicants advancing in their academic interests and yet due to bias, they are being unjustly excluded. In examining the use of standardized tests, such as the GRE and LSAT, there is growing concern that these tests may continue to sustain disparities in accessing graduate education for students of minority racial backgrounds (Gomez et al., 2021; Hill, 2020; Miller & Stassun, 2014; Woo et al., 2022). There are issues with GRE item constructions that are biased (Woo et al., 2022). Beyond this, arbitrary cut-off scores also negatively impact minority applicants (Gomez et al., 2021). This phenomenon not only occurs in these tests but also impacts medical school admissions through tests like the MCAT and the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics or CASPer (Gustafson et al., 2023). This is particularly concerning as the CASPer test was created to increase fairness in medical school admissions(Gustafson et al., 2023). These biases have consequences beyond the unequal representation in graduate schools as they also create a less diverse population in the field. However, testing is not the only resource graduate schools have for selecting qualified applicants. Through the use of more holistic practices, like interviews, admissions committees can begin to bring better-performing students into their programs (Miller & Stassun, 2014).