Abolish Standardized Test for University Admission
Abolish Standardized Test for University Admission What is the purpose of standardized test, such as Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American
College Testing (ACT), for university admission? It was first introduced in 1930s to reduce socioeconomic discrimination in admissions. James Bryan Conant, who was the President of
Harvard University, discovered a number of qualified workingclass students were rejected in favour of less qualified wealthy students. He pushed to introduce aptitude tests for undergraduate admission. Ever since, almost every institution in United States adopted either
SAT or ACT for admission. Ironically, however, the SAT came under attack for discriminating the group that Conant wished to help. Number of studies reveals that the workingclass and minority students perform far less well on the test than white or upperclass students. Standardized tests are extremely skewed toward the highincome students. Tutoring may results in the scores rising of the highincome students because they are provided with the helping, and this skews the scale against the students whose families are unable to afford a tutor. Even though that tutoring academically is much more impactable for the longrun, however, the tutors can’t take the tests, write the papers, answer the questions in the classes, nor participate in extracurricular activities for the students. As a result, cancelling easily tutored standardized test benefits the even playing between the wealthy and poor students. It is also proven that the standardized tests show negative bias toward minorities, even when the income of the students is corrected. The test with the reading comprehension is done in
English, and is obviously biased against students from family whose native language is not
English, as they are unlikely to comprehend the questions. Although language is much of an issue in understanding in college, and is likely to be as difficult as the questions on
College Testing (ACT), for university admission? It was first introduced in 1930s to reduce socioeconomic discrimination in admissions. James Bryan Conant, who was the President of
Harvard University, discovered a number of qualified workingclass students were rejected in favour of less qualified wealthy students. He pushed to introduce aptitude tests for undergraduate admission. Ever since, almost every institution in United States adopted either
SAT or ACT for admission. Ironically, however, the SAT came under attack for discriminating the group that Conant wished to help. Number of studies reveals that the workingclass and minority students perform far less well on the test than white or upperclass students. Standardized tests are extremely skewed toward the highincome students. Tutoring may results in the scores rising of the highincome students because they are provided with the helping, and this skews the scale against the students whose families are unable to afford a tutor. Even though that tutoring academically is much more impactable for the longrun, however, the tutors can’t take the tests, write the papers, answer the questions in the classes, nor participate in extracurricular activities for the students. As a result, cancelling easily tutored standardized test benefits the even playing between the wealthy and poor students. It is also proven that the standardized tests show negative bias toward minorities, even when the income of the students is corrected. The test with the reading comprehension is done in
English, and is obviously biased against students from family whose native language is not
English, as they are unlikely to comprehend the questions. Although language is much of an issue in understanding in college, and is likely to be as difficult as the questions on