Preview

Do Colleges Put Too Much Stock into Standardized Test?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1055 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Do Colleges Put Too Much Stock into Standardized Test?
Topic: Do colleges put too much stock into standardized test
Many students have the desire to succeed when taking college entrance tests, but some students have been proven as bad test takers which means they understand the concepts but are not able to put them on paper. Colleges should not deny prospective students just because their test scores are not as high as the next students; colleges should realize that students are more than just a standardized test score. Tests cannot predict how successful a student will be, and the results are not really standardized since these tests can be learned through paid practices.
As many hundreds of thousands of students apply to schools many students are faced with worrying about if they will be accepted based off of the score that they have received on their college test score. Many students know that colleges place so much stock into these standardized test scores. Studies have shown that not all students are able to perform well on these test, standardized test cannot predict how prosperous a student will be (Prince).
It has been proven that most students have problems with test anxiety which prohibits students from performing well on test (Kohn). Test anxiety is not an uncommon thing for students to feel when preparing to take a test. Often times many students tend to freeze up on test when they know that they will be punished in some sorts if they score low on the test ( Haladyna). Knowing that your future relies on how well students perform on this test can cause many students to suffer from test anxiety (Prince). One of the most devastating effects of important standardized test is the emotional effects that it has on students. After doing poor on a test students become less motivated which in return leads them to give less efforts on learning (Haladyna).
Many colleges make standardized test a major part of their acceptance decision but that does not make the students who they are as whole. ‘Studies have shown



Cited: Haladyna, T. M.  (2002).  Essentials of Standardized Achievement Testing.  Validity and Accountability.  Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Lin, Qiuyun.  (2002).  Beyond Standardization:  Testing and Assessment in Standards-Based Reform.  Action in Teacher Education Popham, W. J.  (Feb. 2002).  Right Task, Wrong Tool.  American School Board Journal, 189 (2), 19-22. Weaver, C. (1990). Understanding whole language: From principles to practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Wing, Justin. "Our Turn: Do Colleges Put Too Much Stock in Standardized Test Scores? | MLive.com." Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Standardized testing has become the focus of modern school reform since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind law in 2002 (Evans 1). The act was designed to hold all public schools to a high standard of education, measured by the results of students’ test scores on statewide standardized tests. Not all students are good test takers, and not all careers require the ability to take traditional tests in order to be successful on the job. A significant number of students nowadays would care much about standardized tests. This is because students feel like they must worry about a test which directly affects their grades and ability to learn. Standardized tests place a heavy weight on students that can lead to stress, take up instruction timing, and students won’t be able to learn anything from them.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The problem I want to address in the speech is that whether colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores. It’s an actual exgience because colleges are currently relying a lot on standardized test scores as a base for their applications.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Do you hate staring at a computer/ piece of paper for more than two hours and answering questions? I am sure most people would answer “no”, and that is why standardized testing puts more harm than good in today’s world. Standardized testing causes a lot more problems than usual. It used to be a part of life, but now it’s causing kids not to go to college, and it’s causing kids to have a level of stress that shouldn’t even be allowed. People all over are stating that they give a false overview of who the student actually is, and in the end, these tests won’t get you anywhere in life. It’s important to many people including students who are taking the tests, teachers who are preparing the students for these tests, and of course the parents who have to deal with all the complaints from their child about these tests. This is a pretty important issue today, because so much is riding on these tests. If you do poorly you won’t get accepted to the university you want, or your teacher could get fired because of your performance. Although some people think standardized testing is just a part of life and it teaches students that it’s not okay to fail, these tests give a false interpretation of who the student actually is. One score does not tell you if that person is an outstanding individual or not. These scores might help you get into a better university, but when it comes to a career later on down the road, employers don’t look at what you got on your SAT, they look to see if you are best fit for the job, and whether you are a hard worker and would bring the company many positives, and I think colleges should focus on that same idea.…

    • 2569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Junior and senior years of high school are the most stressful time for students when you combined advanced classes, sports, and other extracurriculars. While trying to maintain a high collegiate level GPA, students must also deal with the stress of taking standardized tests, specifically the ACT and SAT. Many students will have to take both exams multiple times, not only to complete college applications but to ensure they score high enough to meet that college's requirements. Supporters believe that standardized tests are useful when determining a student's intellectual and academic level, and I have found that looking at this view to be eye-opening. Students, including myself, respect that supporters want students to do their best and…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized testing has been a heavily debated topic for many years because it is not evident if testing is more beneficial or detrimental for children or schools. There are many pros and cons associated with the use of standardized testing. Most educators agree that there needs to be a method of accountability for schools and school districts. However, the question remains, are students tested too much? Additionally, to what extent can a standardize test assess students achievement? Some states use alternative methods of assessment. President Obama pledged to reduce the amount of standardized testing in our schools mainly because it is clear that standardized testing has not improved student achievement in the United States. Standardized…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Standardized tests also create unnecessary stress for students. These tests require students to study or cram for many hours and puts them in a demanding social setting where they are forced to answer difficult questions. “Minority test takers experience anxiety, believing that if they do poorly on their test they will confirm the stereotypes about inferior intellectual performance of their minority group. As a result, a self-fulfilling prophecy begins, and the child performs at a level beneath his or her inherent…

    • 1271 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some students may have decent grades but fall short when it comes to test taking. These students could have a difficult time achieving the scores they strive to get. Standardized tests take up an enormous amount of time to get through. They have a stupendous amount of information that they cover. Students have to study for numerous days in order to prepare for these tests. Most students are not able to keep all of the information in their head and end up forgetting most of it. They may know the information well, but forget it all under the pressure of standardized tests.…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American College Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, commonly known as the ACT and SAT, are both standardized tests used to determine a student's academic knowledge and skills in order to identify which level of colleges and universities they can handle. The ACT Inc. calls their test an indicator of "college and career readiness" and college boards trust their numbers to reflect just that. Although it is known that college admission boards take into consideration many other factors, such as grade point average, extracurricular involvement and class rank when accepting and rejecting applicants, it in inevitable that students are still turned down because their standardized tests reflect that they are not "ready." As a result, high schools all over the nation put great emphasis on these college admissions tests that are administered nationwide to each high school junior. It is true that standardized testing is a method for colleges to rank and then select students by expressing each student's capability as a number. This number is useful because otherwise it would be very difficult to rank such a diverse group of people, each with his or her own strengths and achievements in different fields. Although this solves the problem of having to weigh the significance and precedence of each individual's past…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    SAT Persuasive Essay

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Thousands of high school students spend the spring semester of their junior year stressing and studying for one of the most important tests that will get them into college, the SAT. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), created in 1920, is used to select each year's incoming freshman class.(source ) The “standardized test” is regarded as the test that will predict how students do in college. Therefore, colleges use students SAT score as the deciding factor on whether they are accepted into their dream school or denied due to not reaching the “benchmark.” Many strongly stand by the SAT as they believe it is the test that provides students “equal footing” ( Source) and allows them to demonstrate what they have learned from their high school experience. However,…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    SAT testing is not an appropriate method of measuring a student’s overall intelligence. This popular standardized test is offered in over 176 countries, including the United States. The SATs can be the deciding factor of college acceptance, making the exam itself too influential on a student’s future. Additionally, the test has been taken advantage of numerous times for higher scores. The legitimacy of the SATs is also questioned with the issue of income inequality. Most students in the 21st century are striving to achieve acceptance into elite colleges; henceforth, a single exam having the power to change one’s future is irrational. Despite these inconsistencies, some argue the SATs provide a cornerstone for the strengths and weaknesses of a student that can be compared to…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized test are over testing students. Students standardized test scores should not represent a student's competence. Students can have many problems when taking a test or many distractions. There can be many external factors when a student's takes a test. They could have had a fight early the day with their parents or they could have had something emotionally happen to them lately taking their focus of the test. However, their are some good sides to the test but their are a lot of bad sides and problems that can affect the student's competence. Standardized tests should not represent a students…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized Testing

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Many people struggle on standardized tests because they are long, and stressful. There is a lot of pressure on the students to do well. The scores that a student will get on this test could affect where they go to college, or what job they…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized tests have become a recent controversial topic across the nation. Americans strive for a great education system, but fail to realize that testing is the main issue. They are believed to be a simple way to evaluate students from all different areas. However, there are countless faults that cannot show truly show students’ ability. Standardized tests in the United States do not accurately measure intelligence and should be modified to prevent issues in academics.…

    • 1852 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized testing takes a toll on the mental health of teenagers. At most North American universities, one cannot even go about applying without either the ACT or SAT in tow. Thus, comes the massive amounts of preparation that comes along with College Application Season that High School seniors know all too well. This causes a scramble as students feverishly take test after test hoping for drastic improvement in scores. One such University High School senior, Tom Poulis, goes in depth on the subject;…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Standardized Testing

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages

    school student has taken, are not fair to students who may come from a poor…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays