To test or not to test?

Standardized testing was the bane of my existence last year. Free time was nonexistent because I was always studying for one test or another. From SAT subject tests to AP tests to the ACT, these standardized tests play a large part in college admissions and I knew that if I did not study, then it would be very detrimental come application season this year. Studying paid off as I did decently well on my exams, but I still do not agree with this method of testing students.

The biggest problem I have with standardized testing is that not all students have the opportunity to take difficult classes (i.e. AP classes) with good teachers. These students are automatically put at a huge disadvantage coming into the test because they did not study the material in school. Another problem deals with those who do not consider English to be their first language. This can create difficulty in comprehending the exam questions and, as a result, poor scores regardless of how well the individual knows the material.

Although I understand that there is no perfect way of judging a student, I think that standardized test scores should not play as large a role in admissions. If I could have a conversation with admissions counselors, I would ask them to consider AP test scores with much more weight because they actually reveal how much a student knows because only half the test consists of multiple choice. In addition, the material on the AP test is actually material that will be used later on in our life unlike tests like the ACT science section, which only tests ones ability to analyze data. In conclusion, I think AP tests should be weighted much more than the ACT and SAT because having a strong foundation in core subjects is much more important than timed reading comprehension or the ability to analyze random data.