Standardized tests reward speed over mastery

Every year, over 3 million juniors across the US take the ACT and SAT, with a majority of them required to take one of the two standardized tests by not only their school, but also the law. Wisconsin is one of many states that requires all students to take either one of the standardized tests, and these exams are incredibly glorified and revered in certain educational institutions as an evaluation tool. It’s no wonder that such a strict and transformative experience with these tests leads students to question: is the fuss and promotion really worth it?

The ACT, otherwise known as American College Testing, was first introduced in 1959 in order to demonstrate college and career readiness to both institutes of higher education, as well as future employers. The ACT is the more popular of the two tests, and was created to assess student knowledge in the four subjects of English, reading, mathematics, and science, rather than measuring their overall intelligence. The ACT also includes an optional writing test, but students in Wisconsin are not required to take it. The SAT, administered by the College Board, is the older of the two tests, started in 1926, and it assesses similar subjects. The optional essay was also discontinued nationwide in 2021. 

There is truth to the statement that ACTs and SATs measure and evaluate a student’s English, math, reading, and science abilities. However, these four skills are measured under a time restraint. And not just any time restraint, but a seriously strict one. The English section consists of 75 questions in 45 minutes, the math section consists of 60 questions in 60 minutes, the reading section consists of 40 questions in 35 minutes, and the science section also consists of 40 questions in 35 minutes. For perspective, the only section that allocates more time for answering questions is the math section. Yet, it still only allows a mere minute per question, which is a ridiculously short window of time to allow a student to perform a certain skill or subject, even if they are proficient.

A test that can be life altering for students should not have a miniscule amount of time in exchange for a plethora of questions. The large variety of subjects and sub skills that need to be learned in order to obtain a chance at a good score should be the only worry of students preparing for the ACTs and SATs. However, on the contrary, many also have to worry about their proficiency in subjects and sub skills while performing under serious time restraints. Therein lies the fundamental issue of the ACTs and SATs: How can a student express proficiency while under so much physical and emotional stress?

It is nearly impossible to evaluate or measure a student’s level of performance or skill in such a short amount of time with such constricted core subjects. Many times students will flourish in application essays as they are able to paint the picture of exactly who they are, their strengths and their weaknesses, as well as their overall drive and passion. Those are the important aspects to look at when evaluating students as to how they are as learners. If one looks past the timed aspect, it becomes clear that even the very subjects of the ACTs and SATs hinder a student’s ability to express their full potential, skill, and ability.

Likely for the better, a majority of universities no longer require a standardized test, or even consider it relevant for admission. Unfortunately, the standardized tests are still erroneously employed to evaluate public education on state report cards. When looking at the more daunting aspects of the ACTs and SATs, one can begin to see the faulty structure that these standardized  tests are composed of, and can hope that perhaps the exams will be eliminated altogether, so students can allow their true potential to flourish outside of the constraints of century-old exams.

by Henry Bongers and Zuzanna Sobkowiak

Published February 26 2024

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue V