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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:21 am
by ritz627
Personally, though, I just think standardized testing sucks. There is not possibly way, nor is there any logical reasons why your life's academic achievements should be summed up in a 4 hour test. It is largely based on how one is feeling that day as well. If you are tired or sick, your 're screwed. I'm glad to see that they are losing importance. Just look at the grades instead.

Not to mention, the richer you are, the better you tend to do on the test. People with more money can hire a tutor for the test, and take it more times than people with very little. In my opinion, it is a bit, but not always, biased in that regard.

Plus who wants to get up a 6:00 on a weekend to go take a freaking 4 hour test? No one, that's who.

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:23 am
by Neoteny
ritz627 wrote:Personally, though, I just think standardized testing sucks. There is not possibly way, nor is there any logical reasons why your life's academic achievements should be summed up in a 4 hour test. It is largely based on how one is feeling that day as well. If you are tired or sick, your 're screwed. I'm glad to see that they are losing importance. Just look at the grades instead.

Not to mention, the richer you are, the better you tend to do on the test. People with more money can hire a tutor for the test, and take it more times than people with very little. In my opinion, it is a bit, but not always, biased in that regard.

Plus who wants to get up a 6:00 on a weekend to go take a freaking 4 hour test? No one, that's who.


Yeah, I test well, but any grad school that looks at my GPA is gonna laugh me out the door. :D

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:26 am
by ritz627
Neoteny wrote:
ritz627 wrote:
Neoteny wrote:Back in my day, SATs were only 1600 points. I got a 1440.



Wow. See, I suck at the verbal for some reason. I got a 700 in math and a 580 in reading...not very balanced, so I decided to use my ACT scores for my colleges.


Strange thing is, I just took the GRE, didn't even finish the math portion, and ended up getting a 700 out of 800, as opposed to a 590 on the verbal. I don't know what I am, but it sure as hell isn't consistent.


Yea, that is pretty weird. At least I am a consistently math person.

The good thing about the ACTs is that you don't get points off if you answer a question wrong, its the same as filling it blank. On the reading portion of the ACT, I had over 20 questions left, with about a minute to go, so I just filled in random bubbles and ended up getting a 27 on it, which I believe is around the equivalent of a 620 on the SATs.

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:33 am
by john9blue
I forget what my PSAT was, but I did really well on my SAT. I got 800 math, 740 verbal, and 730 writing. Got a 35 ACT too. My downside is, I have the crappiest memory ever, so my grades aren't very good. So I'm still crossing my fingers hoping to get into some good colleges. :)

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:54 am
by unriggable
ritz627 wrote:Personally, though, I just think standardized testing sucks. There is not possibly way, nor is there any logical reasons why your life's academic achievements should be summed up in a 4 hour test. It is largely based on how one is feeling that day as well. If you are tired or sick, your 're screwed. I'm glad to see that they are losing importance. Just look at the grades instead.


True, the SAT's aren't even about testing intelligence anymore, they're all about seeing how clever the tested is. Nowadays math problem have these twists that are easy to forget and make you lose credit even though the math was right; writing sections that test grammar also have similar sounding words in there (then and than) that make you lose points if you miss them.

I'm kind of glad they're in there since that's my biggest college-getter-into-ofer, but they are a huge nuisance.

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:54 am
by unriggable
john9blue wrote:I forget what my PSAT was, but I did really well on my SAT. I got 800 math, 740 verbal, and 730 writing. Got a 35 ACT too. My downside is, I have the crappiest memory ever, so my grades aren't very good. So I'm still crossing my fingers hoping to get into some good colleges. :)


You'll do fine. 800 math - that's really good.