The acronym ‘S.A.T.’ strikes fear in students everywhere, but standardized tests are given to students with only the best intent to help continue and better gauge their educational career.
S.A.T.s test a student’s academic level and determine where they lie on English and mathematical scales. These tests are crucial to determine a student’s future.
The S.A.T. can increase a student’s chances of getting into their dream college or occupation. Nationwide, many colleges and universities require S.A.T. scores as part of the application process. “S.A.T. scores improve the correlation between admissions predictions and GPA realities by 10 percent,” according to the College Board.
While some argue these tests overwhelm students, which could be truthful, it all boils down to how a student truly prepares for the S.A.T. Students have plenty of time to study and reduce last-minute, stressful cramming.
Students are informed of the S.A.T. back in early middle school, providing plenty of time to better academic skill sets and improve. Students have been exposed to the S.A.T. on numerous occasions in the form of the P.S.A.T.. They possess a general idea of what the test process is like and the types of questions.
Additionally, a variety of S.A.T.-approved sources are free to prepare for the test. One of the most useful sources is Khan Academy and can be found right through students’ College Board or Khan Academy account. Based on previous P.S.A.T. scores, the program will create a tailored plan for what should be studied further.
Despite S.A.T.s being difficult, students shouldn’t feel an immense amount of pressure leading up to test day. These standardized tests are not put in place to harm testers and shouldn’t be looked at in such a negative light.