Cons Of Standardized Testing Essay

In this paper, I argue that standardized testing is an inaccurate measurement of intelligence that should be required for college. These test are biased towards low income families, adds too much pressure on students, and don’t reward students for years of academic success.
Low income families are at an enormous disadvantage when taking standardized tests such as the ACT or SAT. People who live in wealthier communities are exposed to better schools, and test prep courses. This usual effects minority groups that come from communities whose schools are underfunded, and are not being offered as many opportunities. For example, “... like the ACT’s and SAT’s put low income and minority students at significant disadvantages and have resulted in

a lack of diversity at the nation's four year colleges, including public universities.” (Soares). These students are not as exposed and are not receiving the same academic advantages as higher class families.
The pressure on students to succeed on standardized tests is almost too much to control.

These tests are what the majority of college admissions focus on when deciding who to accept. This means that a test you take in five hours can determine your college future. Also it’s placing pressure on teachers to meet the requirements for their career success. If they don’t hit the benchmarks that they should, this causes some teachers to feel like complete failures, even causing some teachers to quit their jobs.
Years of academic success seem to be forgotten about and overlooked, because the ACT/SAT give colleges a “good enough idea.” However, these tests merely test you on how well you can take a test. Students aren’t actually concerned about knowing and comprehending the information rather than just making their best educated guess when they’re unsure. These are the habits that these tests are teaching students. Instead of the focus being on the involvement, or the years of hard work and effort the students have put in, the focus is placed on a test that is five hours long. There is no way a test that is so short could represent years of hard work.
It is apparent that standardized testing is a method that is just not working. It is unfair to low income homes, it is pressuring students and teachers, as well as forgetting about the years of hard work students have put

in.