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I'm unable to access the full-text, but if anyone can, I'd appreciate sharing so I know what their point is with a "new assessment."
Standardized tests have long served as a tool in higher education admissions to assess academic readiness and predict student success. The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), established in 1974, historically played a crucial role in evaluating prospective pharmacy students. Research consistently linked higher PCAT scores with stronger academic performance in pharmacy programs. However, criticisms of standardized testing, such as biases against some students, including underrepresented and low-income students, prompted a shift toward test-optional policies in many institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a declining number of applicants, accelerated this trend, which led numerous pharmacy schools to adopt PCAT-optional admissions policies, ultimately leading to the examination’s official retirement in January of 2024. This paradigm shift raises pertinent questions about the efficacy of current admissions practices amidst evolving educational landscapes marked by grade inflation, reliance on remote learning, and use of generative artificial intelligence. Concurrently, other health professions like medicine and dentistry continue to use standardized tests for admissions decisions. This commentary explores the impact of discontinuing standardized tests in pharmacy school admissions, highlighting challenges faced and proposing the development of a new and unbiased standardized assessment tool to aid in identifying students equipped to meet the demands of pharmacy education and practice.
Standardized tests have long served as a tool in higher education admissions to assess academic readiness and predict student success. The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), established in 1974, historically played a crucial role in evaluating prospective pharmacy students. Research consistently linked higher PCAT scores with stronger academic performance in pharmacy programs. However, criticisms of standardized testing, such as biases against some students, including underrepresented and low-income students, prompted a shift toward test-optional policies in many institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a declining number of applicants, accelerated this trend, which led numerous pharmacy schools to adopt PCAT-optional admissions policies, ultimately leading to the examination’s official retirement in January of 2024. This paradigm shift raises pertinent questions about the efficacy of current admissions practices amidst evolving educational landscapes marked by grade inflation, reliance on remote learning, and use of generative artificial intelligence. Concurrently, other health professions like medicine and dentistry continue to use standardized tests for admissions decisions. This commentary explores the impact of discontinuing standardized tests in pharmacy school admissions, highlighting challenges faced and proposing the development of a new and unbiased standardized assessment tool to aid in identifying students equipped to meet the demands of pharmacy education and practice.
