Standardized Testing - Research Paper Example

Furthermore, the grading system might be a disadvantage to most of the students thus making them fail. Different students can be motivated differently when they are doing these tests. Others can get demoralized during the test process while others can be motivated by how the questions set and the way they are answering them. However, there many factors than can affect how the students will perform in these tests. SAT and ACT testing systems have different ways in which they test their students.

Although these two tests fulfill the same role i.e. college acceptance, each one has different testing skills. SAT test on the critical thinking and the solving ability of the students while the ACT tests on the content of knowledge that a student has on a particular topic. It tests major things on what you been taught in class. Some students may find this testing very difficult because of the low skills that they have on the topics tested. This will make most of them fail the test, not because they are poor in learning but due to the inadequate skills in answering the questions.

Some students do not care what grades they are going to be in the tests. They make sure that they do the tests. These students will react negatively to test because it is not an issue to them. Some students have learning disabilities and they should be treated differently from others. They should be given extra time during the test and even different examination rooms. These students are believed to do better in ACT test because these tests are straightforward and more knowledge-based (Kaplan, 9).

The grading system of SAT and ACT have different portions. These portions are marked differently. The writing portion is the part where a person marks it. This is because this portion has different ways in which the students can give answers. Students will express their knowledge here depending on how they understood some topics. The second portion has multiple choices. This is where a student chooses the correct answer from five choices. One choice is always correct. This portion can be mark by a machine.

Marks awarded in this portion vary from the type of tests. For instance, in SAT test, if a student fails one question from the multiple choices, a fourth of the marks will be deducted from the total marks in the multiple-choice questions. This is completely different from ACT test because even if a student fails a question, there will be no deduction made from the other scored questions. The third portion of the test includes materials that are not covered in school. The teacher will not check them because the student will be taking the materials to the college (Allyn & Bacon, 23).

The students’ knowledge on these tests can also depend on the motivation that they have on their learning. Students should have good motivation during learning to ensure that they get relevant knowledge that will be applied during the tests. Each student must have a desire on what is expected from the studies they are taking. They should know that these studies have meaning in their lives and should take them seriously. Another factor that will help students get the required knowledge is by making sure that they attend SAT classes.

These classes are very importance because most of the topics that are tested in exams are discussed during these classes (Allyn & Bacon, 25). On the other hand,