We have all found ourselves in a testing room, sometimes surrounded by hundreds of others filling in bubbles and scratching their heads. However, we often ignore how this test-taking meritocracy has made us blind and complicit in the economic disparities surrounding us.
College Board, for one, has blindsided us, making society complicit in paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for tests. Instead of providing access to knowledge, a high standardized test score often showcases privilege.
One issue is the cost of these exams. In the United States, Advanced Placement Exams cost $98, the SAT costs $60, and ACTs, at most, cost $93. These prices account for just one exam. Additional costs can arise from taking multiple exams to achieve a better score, getting specialized tutoring, or, in some cases, even cheating. Regardless, these options come with a significant financial burden that not everyone can afford, aside from the wealthy few.
Secondly, a significant problem after finishing an Advanced Placement Exam is that we can’t even check our answers. After taking the exam in May and then waiting until July for the score, one not only has to endure the wait, but even after receiving the score, they never know what they fell short on and what concepts they should improve. However, thankfully, the SAT offers to showcase your incorrect answers (with a small fee of $16). To recap, not only do you have to pay to take these exams, but as an additional cost, you need to pay more money to see what answers you got wrong, which I find silly, but society has become complicit in accepting this bizarre situation of paying for things that shouldn’t be the norm.
Finally, it is well-known (or should be well-known) that there’s an unfortunate correlation between higher scores and family income, race, and ethnicity. Those with low income and who are considered POC are statistically more likely to get a lower standardized testing score compared to their wealthier counterparts. Let us not forget the hundreds of admission scandals that occur nationally, like the Varsity Blue Scandal at USC. Scandals like those at USC offer certain individuals an unfair advantage to bolster their chances of getting into a competitive school and limit higher-level educational opportunities for many due to people’s fraudulent methods toward admissions officers.
So, with all the systematic inequalities that exist through standardized testing, what can you do? I strongly believe high schoolers and post-high school students should consider taking a community college course. For certain students, it can be completely free; if not, it’s inexpensive. Instead of paying for a test to perpetuate inequality, why not enroll in a college-level course where you can gain universal credit, learn from an intelligent professor with credentials like a master’s degree, and have flexibility? When you buy a standardized test, you buy a piece of paper. When you enroll in a college class, you’re gaining knowledge.
- United States