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“Intelligence is, first and foremost, a judgment” (11) Do we really know what intelligence is? Is it something we are born with, or is it something we have to achieve? The dictionary defines intelligence as the capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms; aptitude in grasping truth, relations, facts, meanings, and etc (7). A study of intelligence provides two theories of how intelligence works. One theory is “that there is a single factor of intelligence that determines the level of ability that we have in any task each individual might have a G factor, a general intelligence factor, which would make people better at tasks that are apparently unrelated and likely demand very different cognitive abilities” (11). The second theory stipulates that “intelligence is divided in distinct categories; people would have specific ease with tasks of a particular domain and there would be no single factor explaining performance across different domains of intelligence” (11). So why are standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT, measure something that little is known about? These tests are huge factors of high school, but are the tests a good measure of intelligence? Because of the many problems and variables, research shows that standardized tests do not accurately measure intelligence.

Many people, including educators, believe that the ACT and SAT are one in the same (9). Many people view these tests as indicators of how well you will do in college and the rest of your life (9). These tests are regarded as definitive measures of a person’s intellectual ability (9). Most, if not all, of these beliefs and views are wrong (9). The ACT measures necessary skills and knowledge necessary for college (9). The SAT focuses on...

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...test and ace it. Therefore, with this alone, the tests cannot accurately measure a person’s intelligence. If a person is really confident about themselves, their intelligence, and their test taking ability they will do much better than someone who lacks those confidences. Income levels and education quality also affect test scores. Students who come from low income situations do worse on tests than students who come from upper income levels (10). These students are not as driven, encouraged, or engaged as those of a higher income. They also do not have as good of a quality of education. Charter schools have higher test scores than public schools (10). The higher scoring schools have better resources to raise scores because they have more money (10). Higher quality education gives students a higher intelligence, not standardized tests (6).

Works Cited

Sparknotes