Standardized Test or Standardized Stress

By: Brylee Shafer

“Hello Scholars,” as the famous John Baylor says at the beginning of every ACT Prep video. Hearing this phrase means a rush of anxiousness about the ACT and everything it can mean to our futures. No matter the subject, he always says something like, “The higher your score, the less money you pay for college, let’s make that 24 a 28!” The pressure to do well can be overwhelming.

Standardized tests like the NWEA and ACT are things we’ve been forced to deal with over our academic careers. We set goals, study for the specific tests, practice and hear about how important they are on a daily basis. These assessments and the importance placed on them are causing loads of stress and pressure among students. 

As junior year progresses, one of the major stressors in our lives is the ACT. It is one of the various standardized tests that students must take in their high school careers. This test can determine how much money you can get from scholarships, and even what classes in high school you can take for dual credit. 

We spend months and months agonizing over watching videos to help boost our score on the ACT. There is so much pressure to do well on this test, we spend months preparing for it, and it only takes three hours.  It is also suggested that you take it multiple times to make sure you get the best score possible. 

Putting pressure on students to do well on their standardized tests is something that teachers have enforced on us since the first grade. As young elementary students, we didn’t really know that the NWEA test would be something that we would dread taking 2-3 timers per year, and teachers would even bribe us to do well with bonus points, movies, snacks and soda. 

How can an online test asking me random questions in Math, English, Reading and Science hold the power to determine how well I will do in my career? Shouldn’t that be mainly determined by my grades and how well I do in my classes?

I love multiple-choice tests as much as the next student, but how can a standardized test that is multiple choice show relevance to how much I know versus how well I can guess. Some people try their best and do poorly because they were “trying too hard,” whereas others just click through the test and get a really high score. 

John Baylor says it himself. “With 2 minutes left, it’s bubble time.” This means that you just pick a letter and fill in all of the answer question bubbles that you haven’t already filled out. 

All of the pressure to do well on these tests can give students large amounts of anxiety. We learn about these subjects every day, yet there is so much pressure to do well, and the fear of disappointing our teachers if we perform poorly on them.

I have yet to take the ACT, but the Pre ACT was not a walk in the park. I would not put myself through the mental torture more than I have to, but if you dream of getting that perfect 36, you may take it a handful of times. Or when in doubt, pick letter C.