Standardized Testing Essay

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Recommended: The importance of standardized tests

Standardized tests decide who gets into college nowadays. Standardized tests have more emphasis now then do GPA, class rank, and the students achievements. If Colleges were to get rid of this requirement, many more students would apply. Colleges should not put a lot of stock in standardized testing because it does not evaluate true knowledge, the tests cannot predict college readiness, and students with test anxiety will not perform at their best.
Standardized testing does not truly evaluate a student’s knowledge. “High schools are turning into ‘giant test-prep centers’, effectively closing off intellectual inquiry and undermining enthusiasm of learning (and teaching)” (Wallace 4). Students are now being taught in such a fashion that all of the learning is aimed at standardized tests, whether that is state issued tests or tests that are used to analyze students for colleges. Colleges have used standardized tests such as the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American College Test) to choose which students would be accepted into their schools and who would not be. “Another problem with the SAT is that today so many preparation methods exist; the tests are not really a true showing of what a student knows” (Wallace 1). With so many test preparation methods, a student, or the students parents, can basically buy their score. For instance for $2100, Princeton Reviews Honors program guarantees a score of 2100 or the student will get their money back (Princeton 1). Because of programs like this, students who may not have did the best in high school, can score exceptionally high and get admitted into college solely on the fact that the students parents have an exceptional amount of money.
Standardized testing cannot predict col...

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...sideration the learning disability. Because of this, a student could be denied a place in the school. Through this, the world could be denied an amazing doctor that struggled in English in school, but in college had a teacher to help them through their disability.
Colleges should not put a lot of stock in standardized testing because it does not evaluate true knowledge, the tests cannot predict college readiness, and students with test anxiety will not perform at their best. In conclusion, colleges should not use standardized testing as a main part of deciding if students can get scholarships or if they can get into the college. They should focus more on GPA, class rank, and the students achievements. If they do this, more students will apply to college and colleges will find students they never would have even known about had they focused on standardized tests.

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