Standardized Tests Don’t End in High School [AUDIO]

Hundreds of colleges and universities across the nation are administering standardized testing to their students in the 2013-2014 academic year.

Known as the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+), the test analyzes a student's critical thinking and problem solving skills. The test had been around for ten years, used as an institution-level measure, but this year is the first in which students can individually see and use their results.

"This is not a replacement for content knowledge," said Chris Jackson with the Council for Aid to Education, which developed the exam. "We know that for any industry, a student is going to have to come in with the requisite content knowledge."

Instead, Jackson said, students can show their test results to prospective employers or graduate schools.

"You can imagine a student, on their resume or even their LinkedIn profile, including a CLA+ score," he said.

The test can also be used to analyze student growth. Some undergraduates have taken the exam more than once, years apart, with the results showing how they've improved over time.

Annually, between 200 and 300 institutions participate. Ramapo College of New Jersey, which couldn't be reached for comment, is currently the only participating institution in the Garden State.