Skip to main content More states seek federal waivers from standardized tests as Biden's Education Department extends deadline for requests Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post Jan. 29, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail WASHINGTON - The Biden administration is giving states extra time to seek a waiver from annual standardized tests mandated by federal law as New York and Michigan announced they don't want to subject students to the exams this year during the covid-19 pandemic. "In light of the ongoing pandemic, we have determined that the Spring 2021 state assessments cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered to students in schools across the state," New York Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said in a statement announcing the state's intention to seek a waiver.