By Sam Rimland
During the pandemic multiple universities started to become test optional due to the SAT and ACT not having an accurate reflection of students’ abilities. Covid was a particular struggle for students, but as school is back in full swing and colleges are reverting back to their usual testing requirements it once again brings up the question, should ACT and SAT tests still be mandatory for students or should it be removed? I believe that the tests should be modified, but they should definitely still be in use. They have been used for years, and it would completely change the admissions process if they were removed. They are also usually a good indicator of success in college, but this may not be the same experience for some students.
There are multiple aspects that need to be analyzed in order to gain perspective on both sides. The people who are against standardized testing argue that the exam is inherently “racist” as it disadvantages the poor demographic, which is mainly comprised of black and hispanic people. As it is for education and opportunities in general, it is more difficult for people in poor communities to find resources and money to prepare for the tests. More wealthy people may be able to buy a tutor and have organized study sessions while someone who is less privileged than them may have to resort to youtube videos. It is clear the advantage that one has over the other. Arguments for pro ACT and SAT claim that the tests can be used as an additional metric for poor students that may be able to help them, but nothing will differ from the other ways that these students are measured. The students do not have resources to build an outstanding resume before even taking the standardized tests, so why would these tests stray from the norm? They won’t. These kids are still disadvantaged and just adding another test will not change that. It gives major advantages to the wealthy community, but it is the same with every other metric that is used by admissions officers to analyze if a student is a good fit for their school. Unless the poor community can magically gain the same educational resources and opportunities, ACT and SAT tests will not indicate anything different than the students’ grades.
The ACT and SAT are a good indicator of success in college. They are said to be good yardsticks to evaluate a student. Some may disagree with this as they think that the cheating scandals can skew the results. Celebrities like William H. Macy paid for people to give their children certain scores on the standardized tests in order to ensure that they get into a good school. To this I say that there is not much that can be done. Whether you keep or take away the test there will always be people who cheat. People can forge their resume and cheat throughout high school to get good grades. There is no concrete solution against cheating among education, so it won’t be different with the SAT and ACT. Whether there is no test or the current standardized tests get replaced, people will always find ways to cheat. Others may talk about how there is a certain expectation and pressure surrounding these tests, and that it may cause unnecessary stress.
I know firsthand how stress can negatively affect performance on tests, but it is only natural to be worried. This nervous energy can be converted into drive in order for a person to overstudy for the standardized tests. Another issue with the tests is that the companies who create them make a tremendous profit. There is not much to say against this, but if tests need to be bought and supplied to schools all over the country then someone is bound to profit. Something positive about the test though is that it enhances and teaches the skills that can be applied later in life. Students learn new grammar and vocabulary that will help them be a better writer and succeed in the future. The science section on the ACT may also help with analytical skills and taking meaning from a lot of data, which will be helpful later on in the students’ educational careers.
Overall, the benefits of the ACT and SAT outweigh the disadvantages. I would be open to some modifications to the tests, but they should definitely still be used in schools nationwide. There are not many logical reasons to get rid of the tests, but good defenses that prove why the test may still be beneficial to students in the United States.
