PAIRED TESTING

In paired testing, two individuals ― one white and one minority ― pose as prospective renters or homebuyers and inquire about the availability and terms of a property advertised for rent or sale, and in some cases, for home mortgage loans. Because the two members of a tester team present themselves as equally qualified [renters, borrowers, or purchasers] in every respect except their race or ethnicity, systematic differences in the treatment they receive provide direct evidence of adverse treatment discrimination. Paired testing can reveal statistically significant patterns of unequal treatment.