PSAT

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PSAT

                This morning, I took the PSAT, which is the test that you take as a junior to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.  This entire scholarship is based on your score for this one test, and you only get one chance.  Is it fair to base so much financial compensation on a single test?  What if someone is having a bad day, or maybe they just didn’t do their best on this one test?  Maybe someone isn’t in good test-taking ‘shape,’ and they become fatigued and worn down throughout the long, gruesome test. 

                I think the answer is yes, this system is fair.  Even though it isn’t appealing to most people, everyone gets the same chance, and no one really has any real advantages, so I think there isn’t anything unfair about it.  If you don’t get the score you want, oh well!  It’s not the end of the world, and the National Merit Scholarship is only about $2500, a relatively small amount compared to other scholarships that are widely available.  For me, I just want to be a National Merit Scholar for the prestige, as I plan to get numerous other scholarships already. 

                I used to grow very tired throughout the course of this type of test, but after having more experience taking these tests, I can now do them with little stress or mental fatigue.  One thing that I really like about the PSAT and SAT is that the only areas tested are math, reading and writing.  Or, readin’, writin’, ‘rithmetic.  On other tests such as the ACT, science is also tested, but really it is just interpretation of studies.  On the Iowa Assessments and ITEDs, numerous other subjects are included, such as social studies, reference materials, punctuation, etc.  I think that the SAT system better measures intelligence with its more centralized, core testing areas. 

                My only weakness on the test is vocabulary, but I don’t mean that my vocabulary is bad by any stretch.  It’s just that they use very complicated, learned words that don’t very often slip into everyday conversation or even formal writing and textbooks.  Believe me, if I don’t know these words, nobody does.  However, I think that the math sections of all high school standardized tests are far too easy, and that they don’t distinguish between good, great, and the very top.  Anyone that is a relatively good math student should score extremely well on the math portions of these tests, if not perfect.

                I believe that though standardized tests have some disadvantages, they are overall the quickest and most efficient way to measure the intelligence of high school students.  That’s why they are so widely used.