<p>Another thing: What about the folks that have most of their non-math/science courses in college eliminated due to AP credits and have to deal with the SAT’s reading/writing sections?
And the folks that are just not good at ONLY English?</p>
<p>In fact, saying there is a need to standardize the results… There can be one student with a not so high SAT but his GPA is .5 or more points higher than those with 200+ higher SATs in the SAME SCHOOL (not saying GPA is a good indicator, but it correlates to dominating other students in the same system, likewise, he may dominate the people at the college he’ll attend). And when it comes to math/science–the major he’ll be taking, he is unmatched, but the test doesn’t show that.</p>
<p>@SerenityJade I know that the College Board produces both the SAT and AP courses and tests. They also make money by selling SAT and AP study guides at astronomically high prices. Also, if the Federal government were to institute such a test, it would probably be sued by the states since education is a state’s right.</p>
<p>@FutureDoctor: I’m sort of responding to floridadad post and the people thinking AP classes would be a good judge.
I am just saying that if you get a 2 on a AP exam then it would be a total waste of time and money.</p>
<p>Taking the class wouldn’t be a waste if you learned something.
Unfortunately my school actually makes people take the tests if they take the class.</p>
<p>Yeah, I also find it funny when colleges don’t offer interviews and claim it’s a “holistic” acceptance process…how much can you really tell about a person and how they’ll fit in the college without meeting them first? Kind of ridiculous.</p>
<p>Also, had no idea about College Board’s CEO’s salary…that’s insane.</p>
<p>And to the point about final exams being 60 minutes: the final exams at Caltech, who expects some freaking high test scores, are almost always take-home, and you are encouraged to work on them with classmates and to look back in notes.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are other schools that do this.</p>
<p>There is nothing in life that is completely fair, but standardized testing is the closest thing a level playing field for comparison that there is.</p>
<p>I think the SAT is completely fair! If you self study and actual practice for the areas that you feel iffy about then you can potentially do well. I come from an extremely poor area and an awful high school, but I self-studied for the SAT (and I didn’t study for ACT at all) but I did extremely well on both of the tests.</p>
<p>However, I don’t think they are an accurate measure of intelligence because there are way too many factors that can affect one’s performance. That’s probably why most schools don’t consider test scores to be that important.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s an accurate measure of intelligence simply because you can study for it. The first time I took the ACT I got a 22. The second time I took it I got a 33. Was I more intelligent the second time? Did I have more potential to learn? No, I just knew more.</p>
<p>Maybe these tests are used to help measure study habits. Maybe that’s the purpose and the reason so many guides and prep books are available. Colleges could possibly be testing our study habits. Being smart doesn’t mean you will do well, and being not as intelligent doesn’t mean you will do bad. Timing is a key component that will help you succeed on those exams. Good timing can only be gained by practice and studying. Maybe they want to see what we can do with the resources available(prep classes, books etc…) to us. Study habits and utilizing resources are key to doing well and making the most of college. </p>
<p>Public library.
Unfortunately, a kid who can’t afford a used prep book or get to a public library is probably disadvantaged in more ways than not being able to prepare for these tests. I think most colleges would consider this when deciding whether or not to admit them.</p>
<p>It creates an even playing field. Everyone can study for them; the tests companies put out resources to use. Makes a school’s GPA make more sense. For example, a 2.5 GPA and 33 ACT at a hard school vs 3.9 GPA and 27 ACT at easy school.</p>
<p>$100 is actually quite a lot for some. And my hs, because of some super special grant my senior year, took away the program where, if you got free/reduced lunch, you could pretty much take the AP tests for free. It was devastating. I LOVED all my APs senior year, but I couldn’t take any tests. And I KNOW I would have gotten 5s on all. -__- I’m still mad about that. xD</p>
<p>Also, I took the ACT today. The Science portion is ridiculous. In order to complete the test on time you cannot even read the passages, you must go straight to the questions, ditto for reading, imo. I almost didn’t finish until I switched up my tactics. Though they shouldn’t have zero influence in determining who is admitted and who isn’t, standardized tests shouldn’t have so much weight. You have kids on one end who get the scores they do solely because mom and dad can pay out thousands for tutors and the like. Then you have kids who can barely afford $10 worth of prep books. Just to show the ridiculous amount of sway these tests hold, my subject tests and ACT alone could bring me down from an average applicant, to below average. That’s crazy. </p>
<p>Additionally, not every kid even has TIME to study for these tests. Some of us have to just wing it. When you’re in certain arduous situations, your first thought isn’t “ermagerd mah act,” it’s “How am I going to survive?” But nothing in life is ever fair, standardized testing included. Mer.</p>
<p>I think the tests are relatively fair… To a certain extent they measure intelligence, but you can also study for them to improve your score somewhat. Intelligence and study habits are definitely important for college. I didn’t really like the ACT much because of timing, but my score still correlated nearly perfectly to my SAT score. And I actually kind of like the SAT, haha. The tests obviously are not perfect and not everyone is good at testing unfortunately, but it helps to provide a necessary basis of comparison.</p>
<p>I think the tests is only fair when it is considered above GPA. Other than that it pretty much one big test that few people (out of the the entire student population) actually even take. Study habits in college will most likely be way different than anything you do in high school or for the SAT/ACT. Therefore I don’t think it an accurate measurement of study habits nor intelligence.</p>
<p>"The statement, ‘The SAT/ACT is fair because you can study for it,’ is a paradox… "</p>
<p>So admitting people based on IQ or something that isn’t supposed to be changeable is fair? Admitting people based on how good their genes are rather than on how much they accomplished by studying is fair?</p>
<p>No. But a college readiness test is not fair simply because you can study for it. In fact, it’s unfair because you can study for it. Instead of actually getting yourself prepared for college, you’re studying for a test to make it seem like you’re prepared. How the heck does knowing what “munificence” means indicate that you’re ready for college? How does a test that only assesses your ability to read quickly and answer a few weird interpretation questions indicate college readiness? </p>
<p>Most importantly, how can any test that discriminates against certain groups be fair?</p>
<p>How can any test that by its very nature has to be altered to accommodate learning disabilities be fair? How can it be fair when it’s difficult to get these accommodations? And what about those who have never been diagnosed with disabilities but do have them? Is it fair to give someone who has panic attacks aggravated by timed tests the test? Is it fair to make it so they have to take it to go to college?</p>
<p>I know things will never be fair for anyone, but, honestly, there is no way to say that the SAT/ACT will ever be fair without serious overhaul and the dissolution of both companies and the establishment of another truly non-profit company or a government entity to regulate testing of a test that actually evaluates a person’s college readiness.</p>
And my hs, because of some super special grant my senior year, took away the program where, if you got free/reduced lunch, you could pretty much take the AP tests for free. It was devastating. I LOVED all my APs senior year, but I couldn’t take any tests. And I KNOW I would have gotten 5s on all. -__- I’m still mad about that. xD</p>