The standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and ASVAB are becoming increasingly less popular in the pipeline from high school to college. At Air Academy High School (AAHS), the stress caused by these tests are causing detrimental effects on students.
Nearly 2,000 US secondary education schools will not have a required SAT or ACT admission policies. According to Insider Higher Education, only 4% of Common Application system schools will be requiring them.
“It makes them feel kinda pointless,” senior Peter Patchen admitted.
The National Education Association stated that “Educators have long known that standardized tests are an inaccurate and unfair measure of student progress.” This has been a sentiment expressed for many years, and could be the reason behind the fall in its popularity.
“They stress me out because there is a performative aspect to it,” sophomore Sara Zareva explained.
Many argue that this form of testing does not adequately measure intelligence and academic prowess in students. The narrow boxes that standardized tests limit education to could be seriously harming the juniors taking these tests.
“I feel like they’re going to determine the rest of my life when I’m only 17,” junior Delaney Brandt said.
While the looming date of the test in April is causing intense anxiety for current juniors, those who have already taken the test have found SAT’s to be less than fruitful.
“They were almost an inaccurate measure of my ability,” Patchen stated. “They also made me feel kinda bad about myself.”
Many more factors for college applicants have gained value in recent years, such as extracurricular involvement and volunteer work. Although standardized tests are now mostly an optional part of the college application process, admissions officers will still look for high test scores if they are included in the application.
Due to the incentive to score well and its requirement at some higher level schools, Air Academy still has many options for juniors to be able to prepare for these tests.
“You can be rewarded with scholarships and competitive college opportunities,” Zareva summarized the clear appeal of a high score on the test.
PSAT testing offers an accessible, school-wide way for freshman and sophomore students to practice taking a standardized test in the format of the SAT. PSAT scores also offer the ability for students to see areas in need of improvement in preparation for the real test.
Multiple seminars and resources are given to AAHS students to prepare for the exams. One of these upcoming opportunities is an SAT prep seminar that provides several hours of instruction, study guides, and practice on March 13th and 14th.
There are also numerous resources available online, taking steps to ensure that juniors around the world are prepared for the test.
At the time being, ensuring the best performance for the SAT is optimal, but the education system at large must begin to consider the necessity of these stressful tests. If colleges recognize the fact that they are not essential, perhaps steps can be taken to reform this limiting system.
