The (few) Benefits of Standardized Testing

If you have read my blog this far you’ll know that I am against standardized testing. However, every student has to take a few standardized tests at some point, and in some aspects, these tests can be very beneficial to students. While the ACT and SAT often earn students some very useful scholarships which can help them pay for a college which they normally would not be able to afford. The MEAP (in my opinion) is a much easier test. Students who pass the test were given up to $2,500 from the state of Michigan which could be used towards in-state college tuition. However, funding for the MEAP has been cut and is slowly being phased out. The three big tests for Michiganders include the MEAP, ACT and SAT. In my experience, the MEAP earned some money to help pay for my college. Because of this, it was the only test of the three which I found to be of any use. The ACT and SAT felt as though they were a waste of my money, but I needed the scores to get accepted into college. Which test is more useful? Which test is more difficult? According to an article found at Review Journal the SAT is a more difficult test, but it is also less often required then the ACT.

“The difference between what is being tested is often explained as, the SAT measures a students reasoning and aptitude whereas the ACT focuses more on the high school curriculum. ‘I recommend both because even though they test similar things some students do better on one than the other,’ Gilbert said. Most admissions offices take the higher score if the student has taken an exam multiple times. As for which is easiest, Gilbert said it depends on the individual. ‘Although the ACT has a science section, I still felt it was easier,’ said Las Vegas High senior Suzy Benito who has taken both the SAT and the ACT. There are differences in the way each test is set up. The SAT has no science reasoning portion whereas the ACT does. As the first admissions test, the SAT has been the most widely used test preferred by schools on the East and West coasts and the ACT was mainly required in the Midwest and southern states. However, now more and more colleges and universities are accepting either test, some requiring both.”

Money and financial benefits aside, the claim that these standardized tests are good interpreters of college accomplishment puzzles me. Analyzing scores on verbal sections of standardized tests seems as though it might not be a very accurate predictor of whether or not the student has decent verbal skills. What could be better way to test a student’s verbal skills then require him to write an essay?

“Often students have no idea what to expect or what the differences are between the two [ACT and SAT]. ‘Both are predictors of college success and rely heavily on math and verbal skills,’ said Las Vegas High School counselor John Gilbert. “The differences are more in the areas of the formatting and scoring system.”

Most of my college courses (especially those which pertain to my major) are discussion based courses. Memorization is a very small ingredient found within my courses because the basis of my studies regards interpretation.

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