Too Much Gold
The one event everyone dreads going into their junior year is the ACT. It’s a test that at first, no one looks forward to. Second, it creates anxiety and stress to earn a high score. And third, it’s not a reasonable method to measure someone’s knowledge. Even worse, it’s a time-limited test. Just adding in the time limit amplifies the anxiety. So, the ACT shouldn’t hold the value that society puts upon it.
Taking the test is one of the most draining tasks to perform in school. Sitting in a large area around tens of other students for hours and hours at a time just to take one test. After hours of testing and reading, the brain finds it draining.
“… it makes it difficult to know whether these tests are truly reflective of students’ skills and competencies.”
— Dalia Yashinsky from HelpfulProfessor.com
A teacher from Peak Student Media said, “By eliminating the possibility that a student ran out of time, I can be more certain that the student’s overall achievement on the test will more closely reflect their actual level of knowledge/skill.”
As said before, time-limited tests like the ACT cause massive amounts of stress. These types of tests put pressure on the students to perform their very best in limited time. Students will most likely not be motivated to prepare for this test, leading to poor scores.
Dalia Yashinsky from HelpfulProfessor.com said, “Level of stress, mood and emotional state can all impact a person’s ability when it comes to completing these kinds of assessments. As a result, it makes it difficult to know whether these tests are truly reflective of students’ skills and competencies.”
And finally, only one test can affect a student’s whole future. There are thousands of colleges in America that still require students to submit test scores. There could be a student who has perfect grades in honors courses, performs community service, and has an incredible life story. But if they are a bad test taker, that can change everything.
A test that some students only take once in their life shouldn’t hold the high anticipation teachers and others put upon it. If they aren’t holding the high value, students won’t have the stress and pressure. And they will likely perform better.
