Standardized tests like the ACT and SAT have been around for many years. In Idaho and the other western states, the ACT is more commonly used as a college preparatory exam. But on the east coast, the SAT is more common. It is not surprising therefore that the SAT was created first, in 1926, and then the ACT later in 1959. These tests are necessary and are a veritable indicator of a student’s education as they progress towards college.
Personally, I do not think that we should be required to take two tests that are so similar. I think that it would be more reasonable to have one test that colleges nationwide would accept. Some have also brought up the point that there are too many uncontrollable variables when taking a standardized test. They are correct, some students are much better in a classroom than when our under pressure to do well on a single test. But I also feel that students need to learn to handle high pressure situations. In the real world, their jobs are not always going to be easy and stress-free. Young adults must learn to apply their knowledge in any circumstance, and use the testing to further prepare them for situations that they will face later in life. So, what do you think? Are these tests helpful at all? Should we have to take both? How does the ASVAB fit into this topic? Is there a better way to test for college readiness?
45 Comments
Kelsey
3/2/2019 08:52:33 pm
I strongly disagree with standardizing testing because it only measures a small portion of what makes education meaningful and it is unfair to those students that have learning disabilities or do not have English as a first language. I feel there should be some sort of testing across the nation, but it needs to encompass more skills. An ACT or SAT test does not show how a student thinks critically, their problem solving skills, their leadership skills, their ability to think creatively, work ethic, resourcefulness, persistence, or compassion. Colleges and scholarships are hypocritical for looking at test scores because they are always advertising that they want students that can make a difference, or can add diversity to their school/community, yet standardized testing is the most confining way to judge someone's potential. In addition, not all public schools have the same curriculum or the same teachers so there is no way a fair standardized test for kids across the nation.
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Jesse B.
3/3/2019 11:24:59 am
I agree with you in that nationwide tests need to include other subjects and aspects to become more viable, but I do not think all colleges and scholarships are evil for using standardized test scores. Looking someone's SAT or ACT scores is a practical way to see how that person does in a conventional and stressful classroom environment. If the colleges and scholarship boards are looking for something else then that is where the resume and the essay come into play.
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Rachel
3/3/2019 03:41:19 pm
I believe that the tests are necessary because they set a nationwide standard. I also think that students need to learn to deal with the “stress of testing” and let it prepare them to succeed later in life. While the tests are somewhat restrictive, they are still the best overall judge or academic skills that we have come up with. Do you have an alternate idea instead of these tests? I hope that we can eventually find a way to more accurately test for college readiness, but the ACT and SAT have been around for many years and they are very widely accepted, which would make them difficult to change.
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Bailey
3/3/2019 05:59:49 pm
This is where the ASVAB is a step in the right direction, as it contains categories that one can learn the answers to by simply going through life. These are the kinds of tests that determine skills and intelligence. Some kids are street smart, some are book smart, and some are both. If a person is street smart but not book smart, then they won't do well at a standardized test because the content is completely different from what they're smart in. This is why I agree in part to your statement that there is no way a fair standardized test can be made for kids across the nation. My addition to your statement would be "unless there was one developed that included both street smart and book smart types of categories, and other types of knowledge that I haven't thought of."
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Sariah
3/3/2019 07:16:18 pm
I agree that colleges are hypocritical when looking at or asking for test scores when accepting students. I think it is their loss though. They miss out on a lot of exceptional people I think and I also think that they accept a lot of people who are wasting time. I also think this also brings up how standardized testing is a waste of time because the test are telling kids they need to know a bunch of "common" knowledge and random facts and if they do not they are stupid.
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Kenna
3/3/2019 07:31:57 pm
I never thought about the curriculum playing a part in a fair standardized test. It is a valid point. People don't learn the exact same things in every school so it is impossible to make a truly fair standardized test.
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Katarina
3/3/2019 07:37:50 pm
I agree it doesn’t show what employers are looking for or even what makes a good student.
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Conrad
3/3/2019 07:42:00 pm
Do you think that people should be judged on what they have done and accomplished, not by how high they score? It does test knowledge rather well but that is only one part of a spectrum of needs that have to be met.
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Jesse B.
3/3/2019 11:14:06 am
Every year, millions of students (including us) will take or have taken some kind of standardized test. Whether it may be the SAT, ACT, etc., they all do the job of comparing the knowledge of the up and coming generation of adults. I believe that these exams are necessary, but some adjustments need to be made. One of those has to be a change to their value. Right now, the scores a person receives determines if they graduate. This leads to high amounts of stress to build up not in only the learners, but within the teachers too. If a majority of students do poorly on a certain section of the examinations, the finger is pointed at that faculty member. A solution would be make these tests only gauges of comprehension. Another portion is the subjects in the exams. In a majority of the standard tests, only reading, writing, mathematics, and science are chosen for the subject material. The ASVAB however, includes mechanic and electronic questions. I believe this a step in the right direction, but it should be taken further. The reasoning behind this is that not everyone is proficient in those areas. Maybe a girl from Brooklyn has awful grades, but is an incredible team leader and works well with others. If traits like creativity, leadership, social skills, and personal drive could be monitored, the exams would have more real world value. The point is that we need to know how we stack up to others and where we could fit in the world. At their current state, the standardized tests exclude many people from finding their passions and that needs to change.
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Rachel
3/3/2019 03:35:44 pm
I think a that a test like the ASVAB is a start in the right direction of a new type of standardized test. Do you think it is possible to create an exam that accurately discovers a person’s strengths and weaknesses? I think that a test that is a combination of the ACT and ASVAB would be extremely helpful in college preparation as long as it was accepted nationwide.
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Sariah
3/3/2019 07:22:28 pm
I think that it is unfair to compare students like they do with testing. I think it can be bad for kids self esteem and honestly is one more way our society creates a standard they believe students should be at. It saddens me this is not a part of our education that we are trying to improve because it could determine not only a students future but our world and society as a whole.
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Conrad
3/3/2019 07:39:21 pm
I think that possibly not just change the tests but I think that a person can best be determined by what they have done, and what their resume and essays have on them. I do not think people have to be rated or ranked, just known that they meet requirements and fit in at that school.
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Sariah
3/3/2019 12:40:52 pm
I believe the idea of taking set tests in schools to see where students are intellectually is a good idea. But I don’t think the way we approach our testing is smart or beneficial. An almost identical test given to students every year based on just a few subjects I believe is very stereotypical and in a way almost restricting. We are all equally as unique in our learning intake or abilities. A test like the SAT, ACT, and standardized test are limited in showing a students skills or intelligence, for one child could be advanced in subjects not even being tested and get looked over as not as intelligent because that child’s scores aren’t as high as another’s. I think we should think of creative ways to test the students that will inform our states and teachers of the students unique knowledge. The idea of students uniqueness also goes with why teachers shouldn’t be punished for the way their students test. For one a lot of those kids don’t care about the tests and don’t try so it is unfair for teachers to receive the punishment. Also a lot of kids don’t do well with testing over the computer (standardized tests) or written hour long tests (SATs, or ACTs). But they could do well with a performance or verbal test. The idea of grouping and testing the students as “equal” in their thinking is not something I support.
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Jesse B.
3/3/2019 03:19:52 pm
Your argument for not placing the blame for student's failure is something that I support. Not everyone does well on a written exam. It is obvious that something should be done to make these tests extend over other subjects and skills, what are some of the subjects that you would include to improve the state of the SAT's and the ACT's?
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Bailey
3/3/2019 05:53:58 pm
I totally agree with your views. I've had to do multiple papers on this subject, and I think that while standardized testing can be okay, too many kids use it as a measure of their intelligence and develop a negative outlook on life and think that they won't succeed in life if they don't score well. Everyone learns differently and absorbs different kinds of knowledge, and their intelligence shouldn't be based on a test.
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Kelsey
3/3/2019 06:12:23 pm
I completely agree, I find our ways of testing extremely unfair. There are so many factors that judge a person's intelligence, and standardized tests only gauge a few of those factors.
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Brooke
3/3/2019 07:31:37 pm
Well said. You bring up some excellent points. Since the majority of us share your views, do you think it long before something changes? Or do you belive, even with all our protests, the tests will be everlasting? Out ever evolving ideas should bring about a difference, right?
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Sadie
3/3/2019 07:33:33 pm
Yes, I agree that there should be more subjects being tested on. All it covers is the basic classes we take every school year. There is more to our intelligence than what we've learned in school.
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Challis
3/3/2019 07:40:04 pm
I agree when you say "restricting" because there are many smart students that are not good at things like math but maybe they are skilled at something like playing
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Bailey
3/3/2019 05:51:16 pm
I believe that these tests began as a step in a half-decent direction. The ASVAB is much closer to the kinds of things that one might see in real-world situations though, and therefore I believe it is a more valuable test than either the ACT or the SAT. The ASVAB includes categories like general science, paragraph comprehension, mechanics, electrical engineering, and some mathematics knowledge. These subjects are more applicable in real world life, and thus why most teens find that they score higher on the ASVAB than they did on the ACT or SAT. Since the topics are something that they learn both in school and in everyday life (like I knew a majority of the electrical and mechanical questions due to experience working on trucks and working on the wiring in my home), it is a kind of test that seems more logical to use as a standard readiness and college acceptance test across the country.
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Brooke
3/3/2019 07:28:24 pm
I wonder why the ASVAB is not the most valued test, being as it has the most varied and useful questions. It, at least, gives a better judge of a person's abilities in multiple areas. Do you think this test should replace both of the others to become the only standardized test?
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Challis luker
3/3/2019 07:37:15 pm
I agree that the ACT and SAT do not measure all aspects of intelligence that they could. I feel like everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to testing so one test should not measure how smart someone is. I found that I got higher on my ACT my ASVAB
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Sadie
3/3/2019 07:41:17 pm
Although ASVAB does test some more real-life knowledge, most of that doesn't have to do with many careers. I plan on being a laboratory scientist in the future and I don't see mechanics or electrical engineering helping me as much as Biology or Chemistry would. That is, after all, what they are testing for--readiness for a future career.
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Kelsey
3/3/2019 06:05:07 pm
Yes, I agree that the ASVAB is a better test for general knowledge. I think there could even be more questions in it about other skills like music, art, history, etc.
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Katarina
3/3/2019 07:35:19 pm
I agree. It makes much more sense for people going in the work force.
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Brooke
3/3/2019 07:25:11 pm
There is no denying that the standardized tests are flawed, but what tests aren't? Although, I do believe that the ACT/SAT's belong in the past. At any point in our entire lives, have they ever adapted to an evolving society? (Besides increasing in difficulty depending on grade level, I mean) There needs to be a change, and soon. Sure, they accurately gauge how students react to a stressful environment, but that is only one type of stress that can occur in a workplace. Overall, they are not the best judge of character and potential. However, schools do need something to assess incoming students, but I am sure there is a different way out there that we could figure out. I'm sure we even have by now, but to remove this ingrained lifestyle would shift the entire educational community. Who knows? All we need to do is evolve with our current society and the ideals that come with it.
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Kenna
3/3/2019 07:36:04 pm
It is almost like the people in the academic world are saying, "If it ain't broke don't fix it" about the ACT and SAT. They need update it to fit with the times.
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Katarina
3/3/2019 07:36:59 pm
Most people that make the test wouldn’t do as well as a lot of students unless they teach the material because it doesn’t raptly to real world things. I think they should be more like the ASVAB
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Kenna
3/3/2019 07:27:42 pm
I find that the tests have an unneeded stress to them. I agree that they help determine where you are on an academic level but there are too many variables as you said. I find that, at least on the math sections of either test, that I never have enough time to finish. Now I know that is not the case for everyone but it is truly frustrating getting halfway through the section only to find you have 5 minutes left to finish the next half. These kinds of tests are necessary but they can definitely be improved upon.
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Conrad
3/3/2019 07:28:56 pm
I think that the SAT and the ACT are both good tests, but I also think that way too much merit is given by both of them. There is too much sitting on both (or one) of these test for scholarships, college entry, etc. I do believe that they should stay in the system and I think that only one, in my opinion the ACT, should be used, and the ASVAB should also be looked at by colleges to get a more rounded view on the person. Unfortunately I do not see a better way to test students, but more weight could be put on the resume and experiences than the test for entry though.
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Sadie
3/3/2019 07:30:50 pm
I believe that the tests are pretty helpful. Yes, there could be some changes, like adding different subjects that better determine our strengths and weaknesses work ethic wise. It is helpful though because in order to get an education and have a career in this world, we need to effectively show what we know. How else are they supposed to examine what we have learned throughout our life? Tests must be arranged similarly in order to get fair results. I also don't really see harm in taking both tests. All we need to do is add some questions that show what we've learned not just in school, but in our personal lives. ASVAB is a bit silly, but it is for a whole different subject. No one cares if you sucked on your ASVAB. So, yes, the tests could use some adjustments, but in order to effectively demonstrate what we know, we should be expected to test under pressure because everyone else is in the same situation.
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Challis luker
3/3/2019 07:33:23 pm
The SAT and ACT tests do measure many aspects of intelligence only I feel like it is unfair for certain people. People can be terrible at math and English and be very skilled in art or music. It takes a lot of intelligence for both of those things. So why are these people discounted for being unskilled in math, English, or science? The tests only measure certain aspects of intelligence that not all intelligent people possess.
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Katherine
3/3/2019 07:44:44 pm
I was thinking the same thing. If someone is going into something with music or art, why should so much be riding on their math, English, and science?
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Mckinlee
3/3/2019 07:53:36 pm
Do you think that should be spectate tests according to every subject? So that rather than having an okay math score and a great English score and it balancing out to an average overall score colleges can look at each individual scoring?
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Saylor
3/3/2019 07:53:42 pm
I agree, these tests do not measure intelligence for subjects people wouldn't think of, like fashion design or mechanics. They are not unintelligent because they got an "unfit" score on a test.
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Katarina
3/3/2019 07:33:57 pm
I disagree with standardized tests for the reasons of some people are smart but not book smart, some people don’t test well, and they test on what they think you should be learning. I know in my own experience especially for math I learned what they were asking the year before or even two years before that. This was because I was in the advanced math. So those people had a disadvantage because it had been over a year that we were taught that material. Plus like I said some people are very smart but not book smart or maybe not with test. I know one student who is so smart when it comes to engineering things and electrical but doesn’t do well with algebra or English and they looked unintelligent if you looked at their test.
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Katherine
3/3/2019 07:43:33 pm
I agree that the math was hard. It was the same for me because we had taken those classes a. year or two before because of the advanced math.
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Mckinlee
3/3/2019 07:51:49 pm
I feel like a lot of the things on the tests were more about memorization than actual understanding. I also agree with the tests not capturing a students’s entire capabilities. There definitely needs to be a change.
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Saylor
3/3/2019 07:56:12 pm
There are so many people that are very skilled in different ways that seem unintelligent because of their scores. They are better at things such as welding or mechanics, which takes a lot of intelligence in different ways. These things can't be shown on standardized testing which isnt fair for many people who aren't good at math, science, or English.
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Katherine
3/3/2019 07:42:10 pm
I agree that there should be some kind of test, I just don't think that it should be the ACT/SAT. I think that if there was more material to test on, then it would be a more valuable and useable test. Like Katarina had mentioned, some of the math on those tests were hard because I had taken the math class two years before I took the test. This was definitely a disadvantage, but in a way I guess this would test how much you could remember or how much you studied. I think the ASVAB was a more rounded test and was more useful. I definitely didn't know a lot of the mechanic/electrical kind of stuff, but I felt like it tested more areas than just math and English.
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McKinlee
3/3/2019 07:50:19 pm
I believe that maybe there should be some kind of test. But one that is widely accepted rather than having multiple tests. But the test should encompass more than he ACT and SAT tests do. As you mentioned there are different ways learning and strengths that every student has and these tests do not completely capture a students potential. With how immensely important they are for scholarships and college acceptance the test should be changed into something better.
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Jazz
3/3/2019 08:04:17 pm
Exactly! The test should encompass more than just math and English, because let’s face it, not everyone is going to get a job in math or English.
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Saylor
3/3/2019 07:51:57 pm
I disagree with the testing. They do test people for core subjects such as math or English, but not everyone is great at core subjects. There are so many more subjects that should be apart of testing, or options that students can choose from to test. There are so many intelligent people in ways that some could never think of. Some people are really good at math, and some people are good at fashion design. For people who aren't as advanced in the subjects that are apart of these tests they mainly look unintelligent when looking at their scores, but this is only because these tests don't reach out to every aspect of what people are mentally better at than others. I have always been a fan of math so I test pretty well in the math section of the tests, but some people can be great at math and are not able to concentrate while taking the test. These tests do show if someone is good at math or English and such, but it doesn't show for the many people who arent interested in these subjects, but the tests determine what colleges will allow one to go to. So if someone doesn't test well they might not be able to get into the college for a subject that doesnt involve what was on the test.
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Jazz
3/3/2019 08:03:12 pm
I completely agree! Intelligence should be judged on more than just a test score, and yet it is. Do you have any ideas on knew ways to determine how smart a student is?
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Jazz
3/3/2019 08:01:29 pm
I believe that the general idea of the ACT and SAT is a good one, but we all know just how stressful and terrible it can be. You spend months preparing and then wait weeks to receive your score, that entire time is spent worrying and getting anxious over the test. While I agree that it is important to see where everyone lies and how much people have really learned in high school, one’s score on either should not completely determine their intelligence. Some people are just bad at tests. Intelligence should be weighed by so much more than just numbers but standardized testing is really the only way that we have to measure it right now.
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