02/16/15
WR 122
Sydney Elliott
Preparatory classes for standardized testing are generally not worth their price
Standardized testing in the United States started in 1845, with Horace Mann public education advocate, who “called for standardized testing of spelling, geography, and math in public schools” to assess students’ abilities. Then, in 1900, The College Entrance Examination Board, now known as the College Board, was founded. The Board was an essay-based exam testing students in math, science, literature, and Latin. In 1926, the Board introduced the multiple-choice SAT, which stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test, in order to speed up the testing and evaluation process (Opposing Viewpoints, 1).
Today, there are two major types of standardized testing systems: the SAT and the ACT. Nowadays, both are very important in the future of students. Most universities and colleges state in their requirements for admission that freshman applicants submit their ACT and/or SAT scores to be considered to admission. The higher your scores are, the higher your chance of getting into the college or university of your dreams is, so there’s pressure on high school students who want to get accepted to well-known, competitive universities. Many plan ahead in their teenage years, studying for the SAT and ACT tests to make sure they will get a high score on them. For many, the best way to do so is by taking prep classes. These classes, usually held at the high schools, are designed to prepare students for the standardized tests and to help them to get a good score on every section of the tests.
However, there is a high price which those who want to take these preparatory classes have to pay. ACT and SAT prep classes are an added cost to unavoidable fees such as university application fees and other, optional expenses, including tutors, university campus visits and travel costs. According to the article titled “ACT and SAT Prep Classes Are Worth the Time and Money for