Why Is SAT & ACT Testing Required for College?
Many colleges require one of two college entrance exams, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) test. These are challenging standardized tests that examine the subject knowledge of a prospective incoming student. However, they're stressful and challenging, so many students don't exactly understand why SAT and ACT testing is required for college entrance. Fortunately, most students only need to take one of the two tests, but most colleges require one of the two.
Requirements
The tests are often a requirement for college simply because most colleges require one of the two tests. They have made a name for themselves by being widely recognized standards of education. Colleges will require your school transcripts and an entrance essay as well, but the SAT or ACT will give them a standard for comparing your academic acumen.
Standardization
No two schools are alike: Different teachers, policies, standards and practices could easily mean that an A at one high school is a B in another. C-quality work in one class within the same high school may be B or A work in another. Your grade point average (GPA) and transcripts are important parts of the college entrance process, but the SAT and ACT tests are compared to their own standard. Both fulfill the same function, as it's easier to compare two students to one standard, instead of trying to compare them by different standards--the SAT and ACT simply go about the standards differently.
SAT
The SAT test is an internationally recognized standard for educational testing. At the time of this writing, it's divided into three sections: math, verbal and an essay section. The essay section was added in 2005, to compensate for different students' writing abilities. Each section is worth 800 points, and the total combined score is judged along with the individual sections; many students average about 600 points on each section.
ACT
The ACT is another test, one which was originally more popular in Midwest schools, but as the number of students taking both tests has increased, so has college acceptance of them. In addition to the English, reading and math sections the SAT has, the ACT includes a section on science and scientific reasoning as well. The scores on the ACT range from 1 to 36 points, with the average being in the 17 to 23 points range.
College Application
The SAT and ACT scores are only part of the package required for college applications. In addition, your essay, transcript, extracurricular activities, recommendations and other components should be sent in. Colleges weigh each thing differently, and different entrance faculty will judge different components differently. The standardized test scores will give some background to the transcript, which is why they're required. You don't need to take both tests, but taking one is a nearly essential part of most college applications.
Tags: college entrance, colleges require, both tests, college applications, essay section