Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?

Standardized tests

The contemporary society has in many instances come to know standard testing as the basis of measuring intelligent in students. The students who do well in the pen and paper test are considered bright and intelligent. During the tests those who scores higher on the SAT and ACT tests are usually admitted to selective schools that are better than those who score lower grades (Phelps, 2007). It is a fact that standardized testing is a good measure of measuring  how students do well in school and colleges, but it is also a fact that they do not reflect any  aspect of a person excelling in future, whether in academics or in normal life. Despite this fact colleges and other institutions of higher learning have continued to give considerable weight to these tests in the admission process. It is to be noted that these scores do not necessarily means that a person is potential nor are they good predictors of a person’s capabilities. Some students because of various reasons including adequate preparation, sitting for a test that they had done before of had seen others doing, or in situation where information about the test is passed may lead  to a poor student getting more marks than a bright student (Dolezalek, 2009). The aim of this paper is therefore to explain that colleges do offer too much stock on standardized test.

One of the reasons why colleges put too much stock in standardized test is because many schools have been used to the idea that standardized testing is the only way to access the brightness of the students who report to the colleges. Because of the fact that school heads have been used to giving tests, they have no other choices to prove that students are eligible to undertake classes from their institutions. It is assumed that by passing the tests, the academic success of the students can be ascertained. At the same time, colleges offer standardized testing because it brings a lot of income to the colleges. It would be impossible for college administrations not to offer standardized testing as failure to offer them would deny the college the much needed revenue from the students.

Colleges offer standardized testing because they do not have other ways of verifying that the students meet college qualifications (Traub, 1994). In fact if colleges do not put much emphasis on the standardized tests, what else could they use to grade the students? Research has shown that by using standardized testing, the college is able to predict the outcome of the students’ performance. Those who do well in standardized tests are likely to score better in college as research has shown. There is a fact that if the standardized tests did not accomplish any purpose, then many colleges would have done away with it.  But it is a fact that the standardized tests do accomplish some results to those whom it is administered to.

If there were no standardized tests, then everybody could apply to a college and be assured that they will be called (Dole, 2012). This being the case, it would be difficult for colleges and other institutions of higher learning to be able to identify the student whom they would pick to enroll for classes. This being g the case, standardized tests are important as they help the colleges to be able to select those students who are bright and those who are able to perform well in college.

Despite the fact that colleges offer standardized tests, it is a fact that in some instances, the standardized tests do not measure the true worth of a student. There are students who do perform well in curricula activity and they may not be able to score as expected in the tests despite their ability, this discredits the applicability of standardized tests (Kohn, 2000).

Standardized tests are important to colleges because that it is the only way that colleges can be able to determine a platform that judges and measure the wellness of the students across the various states and countries. Many high schools from different parts of the world have different ways of weighing their GPAs. This being the case, colleges ought to administer standardized tests as by so doing the college will be able to determine how well the students are in relation to the expectations of the college. It is a fact that it would be difficult to evaluate an applicant without standardized tests. Standardized testing is also important as it help colleges and universities be able to sort the students well as well as accommodating all students though one style of test taking

Conclusion

Despite the fact that college student may prepare for the tests, some may not be able to pass the exam because of anxiety. The students may fail the exams and be denied to proceed to college despite their capabilities, this therefore creates an illusion that standardized tests in many instances deny many people from proceeding with their education despite their capabilities. It is worth to note that there is no test that can be used to measure a student will be able to excel when they get to college. This being the case, high school marks should be used to indicate the capability of a person should they report to college. In fact some colleges who have made it optional for students to take the test have found out that some of the students perform better than those who did take the test. This therefore indicates that standardized tests should not be the only measure to be used when deciding on whom to allow joining college or not.

Despite the fact that college student have been forced take the standardized tests and that the colleges have been using the test as a way of deciding who ought to be admitted to college, policies ought to be made so that other measures could be used to determine the capabilities and worthiness of an individual as far as being admitted to the college is concerned.  To be exact, the four years that a person or college student takes in high school, the various roles in leadership, and extracurricular activities should be used to determine whether a person is fit to continue with education at a given college (Mezeske, 2007). Former school heads and principal’s should be contacted as they would give vital information concerning student who are willing to study and those who may have failed the standardized tests even though they would do well in college (Crouse, 1988). The element of standardization ought to be removed as a requirement for one to join college as failure to do so will deny many deserving student of a noble opportunity to continue with their studies (Darling-Hammond, 1985).

 

Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?

Standardized tests

The contemporary society has in many instances come to know standard testing as the basis of measuring intelligent in students. The students who do well in the pen and paper test are considered bright and intelligent. During the tests those who scores higher on the SAT and ACT tests are usually admitted to selective schools that are better than those who score lower grades (Phelps, 2007). It is a fact that standardized testing is a good measure of measuring  how students do well in school and colleges, but it is also a fact that they do not reflect any  aspect of a person excelling in future, whether in academics or in normal life. Despite this fact colleges and other institutions of higher learning have continued to give considerable weight to these tests in the admission process. It is to be noted that these scores do not necessarily means that a person is potential nor are they good predictors of a person’s capabilities. Some students because of various reasons including adequate preparation, sitting for a test that they had done before of had seen others doing, or in situation where information about the test is passed may lead  to a poor student getting more marks than a bright student (Dolezalek, 2009). The aim of this paper is therefore to explain that colleges do offer too much stock on standardized test.

One of the reasons why colleges put too much stock in standardized test is because many schools have been used to the idea that standardized testing is the only way to access the brightness of the students who report to the colleges. Because of the fact that school heads have been used to giving tests, they have no other choices to prove that students are eligible to undertake classes from their institutions. It is assumed that by passing the tests, the academic success of the students can be ascertained. At the same time, colleges offer standardized testing because it brings a lot of income to the colleges. It would be impossible for college administrations not to offer standardized testing as failure to offer them would deny the college the much needed revenue from the students.

Colleges offer standardized testing because they do not have other ways of verifying that the students meet college qualifications (Traub, 1994). In fact if colleges do not put much emphasis on the standardized tests, what else could they use to grade the students? Research has shown that by using standardized testing, the college is able to predict the outcome of the students’ performance. Those who do well in standardized tests are likely to score better in college as research has shown. There is a fact that if the standardized tests did not accomplish any purpose, then many colleges would have done away with it.  But it is a fact that the standardized tests do accomplish some results to those whom it is administered to.

If there were no standardized tests, then everybody could apply to a college and be assured that they will be called (Dole, 2012). This being the case, it would be difficult for colleges and other institutions of higher learning to be able to identify the student whom they would pick to enroll for classes. This being g the case, standardized tests are important as they help the colleges to be able to select those students who are bright and those who are able to perform well in college.

Despite the fact that colleges offer standardized tests, it is a fact that in some instances, the standardized tests do not measure the true worth of a student. There are students who do perform well in curricula activity and they may not be able to score as expected in the tests despite their ability, this discredits the applicability of standardized tests (Kohn, 2000).

Standardized tests are important to colleges because that it is the only way that colleges can be able to determine a platform that judges and measure the wellness of the students across the various states and countries. Many high schools from different parts of the world have different ways of weighing their GPAs. This being the case, colleges ought to administer standardized tests as by so doing the college will be able to determine how well the students are in relation to the expectations of the college. It is a fact that it would be difficult to evaluate an applicant without standardized tests. Standardized testing is also important as it help colleges and universities be able to sort the students well as well as accommodating all students though one style of test taking

Conclusion

Despite the fact that college student may prepare for the tests, some may not be able to pass the exam because of anxiety. The students may fail the exams and be denied to proceed to college despite their capabilities, this therefore creates an illusion that standardized tests in many instances deny many people from proceeding with their education despite their capabilities. It is worth to note that there is no test that can be used to measure a student will be able to excel when they get to college. This being the case, high school marks should be used to indicate the capability of a person should they report to college. In fact some colleges who have made it optional for students to take the test have found out that some of the students perform better than those who did take the test. This therefore indicates that standardized tests should not be the only measure to be used when deciding on whom to allow joining college or not.

Despite the fact that college student have been forced take the standardized tests and that the colleges have been using the test as a way of deciding who ought to be admitted to college, policies ought to be made so that other measures could be used to determine the capabilities and worthiness of an individual as far as being admitted to the college is concerned.  To be exact, the four years that a person or college student takes in high school, the various roles in leadership, and extracurricular activities should be used to determine whether a person is fit to continue with education at a given college (Mezeske, 2007). Former school heads and principal’s should be contacted as they would give vital information concerning student who are willing to study and those who may have failed the standardized tests even though they would do well in college (Crouse, 1988). The element of standardization ought to be removed as a requirement for one to join college as failure to do so will deny many deserving student of a noble opportunity to continue with their studies (Darling-Hammond, 1985).