“Standardized testing” is one of the scariest words that a teacher or parent can mention to a junior or senior in high school. Tests like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Testing) are common forms of standardized testing for high schoolers considering applying to colleges. They can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on which college you are applying to and how good you are at testing. 

Standardized testing is one of the many ways that colleges and universities can assess your readiness of course, ability to test, and most importantly, be able to compare your skills to other students. The pros of standardized testing can prove that students have learned and put effort into their classes throughout the year. One of the best parts is that most standardized tests are uniform across a nation or state, making it easier for higher education schools to compare scores around a large area. This allows the schools to see student performance on an average and use data to better develop curriculums and better allocate resources. Finally, standardized testing can offer a benchmark for students to progress in their education over time and compare scores for both individuals and schools. 

Unfortunately, standardized testing places lots of pressure on students to perform their best, makes teachers over stress the testing process and limits the scope of creativity of testing. Students may place excess anxiety on themselves to perform a certain way on the test, negatively affecting their mental health and overall performance. Another issue is that students with less opportunity for resources will have a disadvantage in the test rooms when they are not fully prepared compared to other students. Moreover, standardized testing doesn’t measure the further scope of skills that a student may have to offer, like critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity. Lastly, if a teacher overemphasizes the importance of the test, they will likely focus solely on the test and not broaden the learning to other educational goals. 

Right in the middle of the pros and cons lies the in-betweens. Most higher education schools consider more than just the standardized testing that a student submits. This helps to round out a student profile and see the whole student in more than one light. Another halfway point is that most tests are constantly adjusting to student needs, changing formats and testing on differing knowledge. They know that the tests are not perfect but work to improve them instead of just getting rid of them. Finally, standardized testing can work in different situations such as placement purposes or large scale data collection. 

Standardized testing is here to stay, so familiarize yourself with the full extent of pros and cons. Know the tests hold importance but that they are not imperative in creating a successful life.