Introduction
Using ACT and SAT in school should not be considered a measurement tool for learning evaluation. These tests are inaccurate and promote exam cheating and economic biases. SAT and ACT results have influenced college admissions decisions, affecting the future of learners. Since the mid-1800s, standardized assessments have been used in America (Doyne). While many other standardized exams are used, high-stakes achievement assessments have sparked debate. Supporters of the ACT and SAT state that standardized exams provide an objective evaluation of knowledge and a solid benchmark for identifying growth areas, as well as valuable data to assist individuals from underserved groups, and that the results are strong predictors of college and employment success (Hubler). On the contrary, opponents contend that standardized exams indicate that students are skilled at taking tests rather than practical and actual work in the field. The educational system should abolish ACT and SATs since it does not equip learners with the relevant skills required in the field; instead, it is content oriented.
Discussion
ACT and SATs have brought harmful and inaccurate college and school preparation assessments. The assessment does not prepare students to be creative or think critically; instead, students are prepared to handle tasks based on knowledge gained throughout their period of learning (Doyne). The scores are unfair because most students accelerate faster in particular subjects while abstaining from critical areas like physical exercises. According to a New York Times article, high school grades better predict a student’s chance of cumulative achievement in college (Hubler). Likewise, a student “with a high GPA and a middling SAT score” has a sixty-two per cent likelihood of graduation within six years in a less-selective four-year public university (Cooper 2). On the other hand, a student with the reverse qualifications of high SAT scores but lower grades has just a fifty-one per cent chance of graduating (Cooper 2). The SAT and ACTs mainly reveal which individuals are better at preparing for and completing the examinations, not which students have the most knowledge, skills and talent that could handle a particular task.
Exam fraud is a common threat to the American education system. SAT and ACTs promote cheating incidents in the United States and worldwide, which promotes incredibility in the education system (Larriva). In 2017, approximately 3,000 school counsellors from hundred nations published a declaration expressing their dissatisfaction with the ACT (Knowles). Due to credible cheating boob claims, test administration had to be suspended at the last minute in certain circumstances (Knowles). Hiring impersonators to take the examinations, paying to amend inaccurate answers or fill in missing replies, and bribing proctors and test-site coordinators are examples of test cheating tactics. The California system has emerged as the largest and most well-known American higher education institution to abandon the SAT and ACT standardized schemes (Doyne). This is promoting and developing skill-oriented academics rather than content-oriented ones.
The preservation of AST and CAT tests used in universities use a broad standard to assess students from different states and districts. Teachers have conscious or unconscious biases for or against a particular student; thus, grading may be done according to the teacher’s prevalence and attitude toward certain students (Doyne). Eliminating the exams would require a total redesign of the admissions process, including retraining admissions staff, rewriting applications, and reconsidering an entire methodology limit (Doyne). Likewise, some studies have demonstrated that SAT and ACT results, when paired with the grade point average, can assist in predicting a student’s performance in college, particularly during the pivotal first year (Doyne). SAT and ACTs evaluate learners using the same questions, are administered under virtually identical testing settings, and are scored by a computer (Knowles). As a result, standardized exams are intended to offer objective measurements, which could be more effective in measuring the skills and knowledge of students.
ACT and SATs promote inequality in the education system. ACT and SATs disfavor less affluent students; however, grading is based on student performance (Larriva). According to the New York Times, statistics indicate that examinations are fundamentally biased in favour of wealthier, white, and Asian-American students (Hubler). Fifty-five per cent of Asian-American examinees and forty-five per cent of white participants scored 1200 or above in 2019 (Doyne). These percentages were twelve and nine for Hispanic and black students (Doyne). The amount payable for SAT and ACTs is height, which is not affordable to poor and low-earning families (Knowles). The SAT and ACT results follow a pattern whereby children from low-income homes do lower than those from higher-income families (Hubler). This injustice may be a perfect reason for colleges to reconsider eliminating their exam requirements.
Conclusion
In conclusion, colleges should abolish the ACT and SATs. The foundations behind this argument are inaccurate assessments of students’ abilities, numerous cheating scandals, and economic prejudices. The ACT and SAT exams do not assess college preparedness or achievement and can be found to be inaccurate. Likewise, standardized tests place lower-income families at a significant disadvantage. These tests are stronger indicators of an individual’s family background and socioeconomic level than their ability to succeed. The solution is to use school GPA, attendance evaluation, and teacher recommendations to evaluate each student fairly. The GPA one strives for throughout their high school career best shows their work ethic and intellect. Removing the ACT and SATs from the educational system would provide more opportunities for every student to get accepted to colleges and focus on their goals.
Works Cited
Cooper, Preston. “Should Colleges Abandon SAT Score Requirements?” Forbes, Web.
Doyne, Shannon. “Should Students Be Required to Take the SAT and ACT to Apply to College?” The New York Times, Web.
Hubler, Shawn. “Why Is the SAT Falling Out of Favor?” The New York Times, Web.
Larriva, Matt. “How Can I Cheat On The Sat?” An intellectual experiment, Web.
Knowles, Miranda. “Future or Failure: Why We Should Abolish the SAT and ACT?” Heritage Herald, Web.