The Horrors of Standardized Testing

Nobody enjoys standardized testing. Spending four hours in a classroom doing nothing but filling out bubbles is something students cannot get around. Some people have taken extreme measures to avoid taking the test like a girl is Asbury Park who jumped from a second-story bathroom window in an attempt to skip the PSAT.

The PSATs this week have irritated most of the Oratory community. Sophomore Jake Wright says, “they are very tiring and a fair amount of the material was not covered yet by our teachers.” Teachers, however, may have a different view of the topic. Mr. McCrystal believes, “most teachers view the PSAT and the ACT practices as a great opportunity for our students to familiarize themselves with what is coming in their not too distant futures.”

Most people who are against the standardized tests do have some evidence to back their opinion. Since the tests are randomized and you are unable to study for it, many claim that they reward natural aptitude in a subject rather than hard-work. Others say that the difficulty of the tests can lower self-confidence for students. Jake Wright says “I do think that a few test should be such an important part of our future.”

Even though most can agree that standardized tests are tiring and unenjoyable, it is a necessary evil. So many colleges look at SAT and ACT scores for choosing which students to accept. However, that won’t stop people from complaining again next year over their hate of PSATs.