By Kevin Organisciak, M.Ed.

If you have spent the last few years hearing that standardized testing is dying, 2026 is shaping up to be a reality check.

While the majority of colleges remain officially test-optional, a growing number of highly selective institutions have either reinstated testing requirements or signaled that standardized test scores continue to play a meaningful role in admissions decisions. At the same time, more students are choosing to submit SAT and ACT scores even when they are not required for admissions, since most merit aid and scholarship programs still use SAT/ACT as a benchmark.  For tutors and college admissions professionals, this presents both an opportunity and a warning.

The opportunity is obvious: demand for high-quality test preparation remains strong.

The warning is more subtle: families are increasingly confused about what "test optional" actually means.  

In short:  

Test Optional is not a single thing; each college has its own admissions policy.  If SAT or ACT scores are submitted, they will be considered. 

Test Blind colleges (about 60 schools) are the only schools that will not accept SAT/ACT scores if submitted. 

SAT/ACT scores are still used for the majority of state scholarships and private scholarship programs. 

Recent research from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that while test-optional policies changed application patterns, highly selective colleges continued to receive large numbers of applications from students with strong test scores. The study also found that elite colleges still relied on multiple academic indicators when evaluating applicants.

Meanwhile, several highly selective institutions have moved back toward testing requirements in recent admissions cycles, citing concerns about grade inflation and the need for consistent academic measures. Recent reporting has noted that many applicants continue to submit scores voluntarily because they believe scores help distinguish them from other highly qualified candidates.

What This Means for Tutors

For years, many tutoring companies responded to the test-optional movement by diversifying into academic tutoring, college admissions consulting, and enrichment programming.

That was probably the right move.

However, many organizations may have overcorrected by assuming test preparation was entering permanent decline.

The reality appears more nuanced.

In our conversations with tutoring companies across the country, test preparation is increasingly being positioned as one component of a broader college readiness strategy rather than a standalone service. Students who receive support with executive functioning, academic skills, and admissions planning often still choose to sit for the SAT or ACT, particularly when applying to selective institutions.

The Bigger Trend: Evidence Matters Again

Another development worth watching is the growing emphasis on measurable outcomes throughout education.

Research from the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford continues to demonstrate that high-impact tutoring remains one of the most effective educational interventions available. Their findings suggest that intensive tutoring can produce gains equivalent to more than four months of additional learning in literacy and nearly ten months in high school mathematics.

In many ways, this mirrors what is happening in admissions.

Schools, families, and policymakers are increasingly looking for objective evidence of student readiness. Whether that evidence comes from standardized testing, demonstrated academic growth, portfolio work, or structured assessments, the demand for measurable outcomes appears to be growing rather than shrinking.

AI Is Changing Tutoring—But Not Replacing Tutors

Perhaps the most interesting development is what recent research is suggesting about AI-assisted tutoring.

Emerging studies indicate that hybrid human-AI tutoring models often outperform AI-only approaches, particularly for students who need the most support. In other words, technology may make tutors more effective, but there is little evidence that it eliminates the need for skilled educators.

This is an important distinction.

Families rarely hire tutors because they need information. Information has become nearly free.

Families hire tutors because students need accountability, motivation, personalization, confidence-building, and expert judgment.

Those remain stubbornly human skills.

We came to the same conclusion as a group during our 2025 conference "AI and the Future of Tutoring."

Looking Ahead

If I had to make a few grounded predictions about where the tutoring industry is headed over the next 1-3 years, they would be these: 

1. In-person academic subject and test prep tutoring will grow at a reasonable rate because parents with the means to purchase will do so and will want their kids off a screen to improve retention.  From a business point of view this is an opportunity, however, it is one that requires a thoughtful review of one's current pricing model.  In-person lessons should be sold at a premium regardless of the subject.
2. Small Group or Class Based SATACT Prep is growing again.  The current rate of inflation of 4.2% is the highest it has been for non-pandemic years since 2011.   Said differently, many families will be looking for value and small group or classroom prep (live or remote) is generally priced significantly lower than 1:1 tutoring on a per-hour basis. 
3. AI-Human Hybrid SAT/ACT tutoring is already out there and it is time to explore.  Although the quality of practice materials remains somewhat of an obstacle, parents may not be able to discern this and may opt for what will inevitably be the lowest cost/value option for prep.  If you have a great process and great talent, the oppotunity to be an AI-Human early adopter is now. 

Having said all of this, the basic facts of tutoring success remain unchanged.  The tutors / tutoring companies that thrive will likely be those that can maintain the highly personalized relationships that families continue to value, demonstrate quantifiable student-outcomes, and adapt to the market opportunities that are emerging locally or virtually.  

References

• National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper: Test-Optional College Admissions
• National Student Support Accelerator (Stanford) – High-Impact Tutoring Research
• National Student Support Accelerator – AI and Tutoring
• Improving Student Learning with Hybrid-AI Tutoring