For the past few years, test-optional admissions made standardized tests seem optional—maybe even irrelevant. But that era is shifting. More colleges are returning to test-required or test-encouraged policies, and for rising seniors, this change creates both uncertainty and opportunity.

Here's what's actually happening, why colleges reversed course, and why you don't have to panic. If you're a rising senior, you actually have something most students don't: time. You can take a practice test on Bluebook this week just to see what you get—no commitment, no stakes. Then decide.