Students can spend years of hard work toward building some of the strongest student resumes only for them to be tainted by an insignificant test score. Undoubtedly, the SAT for college applications is an inaccurate reflection of students’ real potential.
To begin, the test itself is a major inconvenience for many students. The math content and skills tested on the SAT are completely different from what students are currently studying in their respective classes. The test primarily focuses on Algebraic and trigonometric concepts; meanwhile, most students in their Junior and Senior years of high school are focusing on more advanced Precalculus and Calculus concepts. This is a hindrance for many students as they have to set aside time to go back and review skills which they rarely use while still having to learn new concepts.
In addition, the test itself is quite difficult to take and prepare for. The limited test dates and lack of nearby testing centers make the SAT an unfeasible decision for many. Not only are time and location factors, but finance is also an often overlooked factor. The exam itself costs $60, not to mention the resources needed to prepare for the exam. Aside from Khan Academy, many of the SAT preparation courses cost over hundreds of dollars, and sometimes even into the thousands.
Unfortunately, not all students are privileged enough to spend hundreds of dollars on preparation courses or personal tutors. This can create major disadvantages for financially unfortunate students and create gaps in testing scores between students with different socioeconomic backgrounds. More importantly, however, this can reduce the amount of opportunities provided to students from low-income backgrounds.
Furthermore, the test is taken in a short time window. Although the ability to think quickly under pressure is a great attribute to have as a student, the SAT’s time window places unrealistic expectations and an unbearable amount of pressure on students, preventing them from using their analytical and critical thinking skills to their full potential. Students become more preoccupied with getting a high score on the SAT for their college applications rather than developing these skills. Many students will instead learn methods to gloss over the reading excerpts without actually analyzing the questions (a key skill which the SAT is supposed to test) in order to answer the questions as quickly as possible.
Outside of the flaws within the test itself, a single test score cannot reflect a student’s real potential with that being the case for most tests in general. Students spend years of dedication toward their studies and extracurricular activities. Not only does this require hard work and time management, but also consistency, the most important attribute a student could have, which the SAT will never be able to reflect.