Are standardized writing tests really a good idea?

[WillJ]

Better socre then me. I only got a 3

And I don't think you're stupid, so yet more evidence for my side.

Although I'm actually not 100% sure about what the scores actually mean. For example, a 7 out of 12 is less than 60% of the maximum score, which I'm assuming means it's bad, although maybe it's actually good...

 

[Sims2789]

Standardized tests for college like the ACT, SAT, and the SAT II Subject Tests are good, as are AP exams. State standardized tests are good too but they should not determine funds and should be after AP exams.

 

[Sims2789]

Standardized tests for college like the ACT, SAT, and the SAT II Subject Tests are good, as are AP exams. State standardized tests are good too but they should not determine funds and should be after AP exams.

 

[MarineCorps]

And I don't think you're stupid, so yet more evidence for my side.

Gee, thanks.

Of course, I'm actually not 100% sure about what the scores actually mean. For example, a 7 out of 12 is less than 60% of the maximum score, which I'm assuming means it's bad, although maybe it's actually good...

Yeah, I looked at the college board website and the explain nothing about the combined score.

Is praising others, even if the praise is excessive or undeserved, a necessary part of life? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

20 minutes to write on that. (I know someone who wrote an essay on that based on a seinfeld episode )

 

[sanabas]

Didn't go to school in the U.S., but I did a test in Yr 12 that sounds similar. Multiple choice component on logic, comprehension, vocab, etc, skills, and an essay component. Seemed to me that it was similar to debating in school. They were after a clear, concise argument, with logical backing of your points. I think the time limit was 1 hour, and they were after roughly 500 words. I got straght E's for English all through Yr 11/12, as I didn't bother to turn up or do the assessment all that much. However after we did a trial essay in preparation for the test on a day I was actually there, I got 18/20 and drafted into the school debating team. When we did the actual test I got a similar mark. I'm very ordinary at creative writing, but creative writing isn't what they're looking for. Clear, concise, well reasoned arguments is what they're after.

 

[Alphawolf]

No, I do not think writing tests on there should be standardized tests. I'm glad I was able to take the ACT and not a writing test, (freshman in college so I missed most of this BS). I do think that if Universities care about essays they should give an essay on the application, mine did.

-the Wolf

 

[shortguy]

WillJ: I suppose "flair" was the wrong word. What I meant by "flair" was utilizing a large vocabulary, varied sentence structure, etc.

MarineCorps: Wow. That was an extraordinarily bad prompt.

 

[Cuivienen]

I got a 12/12 on the new SAT I essay and I'm still opposed to it. It's ridiculous to expect that you can get an accurate representation of someone's writing skills from a trite prompt and 25 minutes.


Btw, the topic I got a 12/12 was whether success is more defined by ability or by luck. I talked about Byzantine emperors, which I think intimidated the graders enough to get an automatic 6 from each. In the end, my argument was that great success is generally due to luck, but one can achieve minor, if not historically-lasting, success through skill.

 

[Moss]

Cuivienen...knowing you as little as I do, I'm guessing you deserve the 12/12..if not for you writing ability, definately for your application of knowledge.

 

[Atlas14]

Standardized anything is worthless in my opinion, if they are going to be valued and analyzed so highly by colleges. People have different intelligences, and have multiple ways of solving abstract and real-life problems. The SAT sort of says either you're dumb or you're smart, while only focusing on math and verbal skills, and it basically emphasizes people who are great at following methods, as is seen with the math section. People such as myself, who are slow workers and thrive off of taking their time and working efficiently are penalized on the SAT with the strict time limits. My problem with the SAT is that it makes people like me look like we are not capable of solving most of the math problems, or skilled enough to read boring passages and answer a bunch of questions, when in-fact I am capable, it is mostly the time limits that kill my scores.

As for the Writing section, I agree with you WillJ that the time limits are bogus and defeat the purpose of trying to promote creativity and well-supported answers. In my AP English class we practiced them and I got the highest scores you can get every time. However, I took the SAT last year and was told to write the essays exactly how you are not supposed to write them, so I basically didn't do as well as I technically could/should have.

 

[Cuivienen]

Just some off-topic advice to any taking the SAT Is next year/in the future:

Come up with a topic beforehand and research it. Not something usual like the Civil Rights movement, but something unusual like Song China or Hohokam pottery or the life of Gregor Mendel. I guarantee you that the essay question will be so predictably boring that any of those topics could easily fit into it.

Oh, and be sure to make up a proverb to start and end your essay with. (Chinese, Arabic and Jewish are generally the three best types - Chinese proverbs deal with things literally, Arabic metaphorically and Jewish cynically. Beyond that, coming up with a proverb is not hard - just restate your thesis in imperfect English.)

Note that I didn't do either of the above but was advised to do so by someone who is usually a terrible writer but also got a 12/12.