The SAT is the most widely accepted benchmark for college admittance. The one test, usually taken two or three time over the course of a student’s junior and senior year, is the most pivotal standardized test as to a student’s future. Standardized tests in general have come under scrutiny in recent years, due to critics bashing their “one mold fits all” ideology. This is very true, but now that mold has become a lot easier to fit into.
At first that may sound like a good thing, especially for the class of 2016, who will be the first to take this new SAT. The new version goes back to the original 1600 point scale, rather than the 2400 point scale used this past year. That isn’t a big deal. What is a big deal is the fact that the essay portion of the assessment is now optional. On top of that, wrong multiple choice answers are not counted against the taker anymore. This means that you can still guess and no points will be taken away, no points added. This lines up future students for a much easier path to a better SAT score.
This is not only unfair to former SAT takers, but also to the younger students who will be taking this test. The standards for a good education are being lowered, and that is not what we need, as a country struggling with failing educational rankings. Writing should be valued at least a little. One can only hope colleges will be well informed and use proper discretion when assessing students’ scores.
As a student who has taken the SATs twice, I know that they are hard. And I have been hit hardest by wrong answers and essay time constraints. Now that these two aspects are basically rendered moot, I feel as if I have been ripped off in a sense. I think many of my fellow juniors and seniors will agree with this feeling as well.
