Senate passes bill requiring all students to take college entrance exam

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would require all high school students in the state to take a college entrance exam passed out of the Senate on Wednesday.

Sponsored by Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, SB10 would eliminate the Utah Basic Skills Competency test in favor of an assessment that gauges college and career readiness — likely the ACT exam, though it's not specified in the legislation. The change would cost an extra $700,000 a year.

Dayton said the ACT is better at measuring college and career readiness than the other test, and can be a help to students and teachers alike. If passed, the bill would go into effect this summer and would eliminate a pilot program under way in the state.

The bill now moves to the House.

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