Large tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) have good intentions, but cracks in the system need to be considered when matching a score to the potential of a student.

Awareness of negative effects of standardized testing on student’s mental, emotional and physical well being grew over the past several years. Students with good grades and modest standardized testing scores are more likely to succeed in college than students with higher testing and lower high school grades according to www.pbs.org Students who have difficulty taking a large grueling test, such as the S.A.T., are more likely to do poorly, and their intelligence won’t be accounted for properly according to www.study.com.

Many of these high-stakes exams harms students’ mental and emotional stability. Reducing the amount of pressure, or even eliminating standardized testing altogether, is crucial to minimize stress-related symptoms in high school students. Some might argue taking a standardized test such as the S.A.T. or the American college testing (A.C.T.) opens the door for scholarship opportunities for college fees and tuition.

However, daily work scores and teachers’ letters of recommendation describing work ethic and personal drive are a better measure of ability than one test administered on one day in a student’s life. Instead of forcing high school students to take the S.A.T. or the A.C.T., allow them to decide whether or not they want to take them.

Overall, the standardized testing process twists students’ minds and forces them to memorize and retain specific information. Standardized testing continues to be an outdated system that brings more negative outcomes than positives and can be damaging to a teen’s life.