Just recently I took a test in physics, and as with any other test, a few days later I received a marked up copy of my test, and a grade. There were few problems I had done perfectly, but much of my test consisted of partial credit for my thought-process and effort, and as a result I ended up with a score I was content with. I’ve learned over my six years at Parker that when I explain my work, I still get credit. Even if my answer is wrong.

You can imagine my frustration when I try to explain to my ACT tutor that, in fact, my process for question #31 in the math section was correct, so that question really should have been marked correct. And it wasn’t.

Unlike the majority of students around the country, Parker students rarely face the daunting bubble sheet. The issue is that Parker students will eventually, one way or another, see a standardized test, and most likely compete with students who have been exposed to standardized tests since they were in middle school.

Sophomores have the option to take a practice test at the end of the school year offered by College Counselling through Academic Approach, and are then referred to Academic Approach for test prep. Though the practice test is free, the tutoring is not covered by the school.

Out of the 5000+ four-year colleges/universities in the US alone, only 280 are test optional, according to “Prepscholar.” The sheer numbers should convince you: this is a really big, important test. Around 1.64 million students have taken the ACT, while another 1.6 million have taken the SAT, according to the New York Times.

And it is likely that our college professors will be less forgiving than our teachers are now. Classes may consist of tests reflecting those of the standardized tests, and once more Parker students will be at a disadvantage. In the ‘real’ world, half points are not awarded for “process.”

Students who can’t afford tutoring are put at a disadvantage, and those who can afford tutoring must learn material separate from their schoolwork for the test. In addition, there’s a certain method, or formula, when taking standardized tests. Someone who has been exposed to these tests while they grew up as a learner has a definite advantage over someone who is relatively new to it.

I believe that it is the school’s responsibility to familiarize students with standardized testing at a younger age and incorporate parts of it into the curriculum. Although standardized tests are the epitome of everything a progressive education does not stand for, we can’t deny the fact that they are prevalent in society, and to best prepare us for the future, learning how to take them is a necessary step.

A feeling of panic has been hovering over my head for the past few months regarding my upcoming ACT exam. I have more than plenty of time to take it, and multiple chances to take it, and yet I still don’t know what to expect. By the time I was in 7th grade, I had figured out how I work best on a math test, and my freshman year of highschool I finally realized what a decent thesis should look like. But I haven’t had the time to grow and adapt as a learner when it comes to a test that arguably matters to whoever will be reviewing my application for whichever college just as much as my GPA will.

I’m not saying that 3rd graders should be taking miniature ACTs as part of their curriculum, but our school needs to introduce standardized testing skills earlier on in some form in order to best prepare students for life beyond Parker.