Standardized testing is a mountain that every high school student has to climb and can appear in many forms. Students at State High take their pick and try for their highest score periodically throughout the year. They have to take the SAT, ACT, SAT subject tests, AP exams, or Keystones.

Students at State High are required to take a series of standardized tests. They must take a series of Keystones, which are required for students to graduate high school. They may also take the PSAT and are encouraged to take the SAT.

Allaina Wagner, a senior at State High, said that going into her tests she wasn’t surprised with the test due to her preparation and studying. Wagner has taken her fair share of standardized tests. She has taken all of the Keystones, the SAT, the ACT, and is currently preparing for her SAT Subject Test. She prepared for her tests based off how she did on her previous tests. She found that she struggled with math, so she did additional math preparations. 

Wagner decided to take the SAT and ACT to see how both the test were structured. Wagner said that the ACT was the better fit for her. “The ACT tests your knowledge where the SAT tests your skill,” Wagner said. 

 Wagner said she doesn’t think standardized testing will benefit her in the future. “It’s a scam I think, because colleges just profit off of it,” Wagner said. There are over 180 highly ranked colleges that have moved away from requiring standardized testing or say they are test flexible.

“I wish I was told that [standardized tests] don’t make as much of a difference as I originally thought, there is so much emphasis on it,” Wagner said. “Start taking everything as soon as you can, because SAT superscores so if you do really well in English then you can focus on what you need to like the math,”.

Abigail Clifford, sophomore, has only taken one standardized test at the high school level. Clifford has taken the Algebra 1 Keystone and is going to take the Biology Keystone and the PSAT this year. “I feel the school and teachers prepare us for the tests,” Clifford said. “I think the time limit is the most nerve racking thing about standardized testing.” Clifford wants to take Wagner’s advice and study a lot more and take her tests early. 

The PSAT will be provided free of charge on October 16th for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The next SAT will be held at State High on December 7th. The ACT will be held at State High on October 26th.