More than 1,300 colleges and universities have made tests optional for 2022 admissions, and because of the controversy that has always existed around the SAT and ACT, many believe this decision will be permanent.

There should not be standardized testing, and instead students should be assessed by other means.

Standardized tests lack the ability to measure a student’s actual ability to understand and apply the material. They put more pressure on memorization skills, instead of problem-solving skills, which tend to lower students’ overall success, which disproportionately affects minority students.

Testing also increases stress for students because they feel these tests will determine their future. This can make a student feel inferior if they perform poorly on the test, causing them to resent learning.

Testing situations negatively affect the well-being of students. The extreme stress that high-stakes testing puts on students can make them feel the need to cheat and use ADHD drugs to help them focus, which can cause them to get sick or even die.

Replacing standardized testing with different ways to assess a student’s knowledge would not only put the student’s well-being first, but would help students to actually understand the material and make them intrigued to continue to learn more.