Changing Standardized Exams

To put it plainly, standardized exams need to change. Nobody looks forward to the next time they have to take a PSAT, SAT, or ACT. Studying for them takes time away from learning, they cost money, and a variety of other reasons mean that, if not completely removed, standardized exams should be changed. Primarily, that is, they should be completely optional.Standardized exams such as the SAT or ACT have many negative impacts. For one, it has substantial weight in most college selection processes, and costs money to take. This, of course, means that more wealthy students can afford to take the SAT over and over again to improve their scores, whereas a more economically challenged student may not have that option. This means that colleges are biased towards the more economically elite. Additionally, the SAT and ACT only really test mathematically and linguistic capability, when there are more areas in which colleges might be looking for proficiency in. For instance, when applying to an art school, the SAT and ACT don’t really matter at all. The SAT and ACT should not be a main indicator of academic skill. Also, studying for the SAT and ACT may distract from actual learning.One solution is to make the SAT/ACT optional, so students only take it if they want to. It would be a lot less stressful for students and they could focus on improvement rather than just rote memorization. SAT and ACT would still be available for students who wish to see their academic skill in math and writing, but would have less weight in college application processes.