Standardized tests claim to measure student learning, academic achievement, and college readiness. What they actually measure is pattern recognition and the stamina to sit still for three hours and eliminate wrong answers. A 2019 study from the University of California found that high school GPA was a stronger predictor of college success than SAT scores. Despite these and similar findings, we're still building entire academic accountability systems around these tests.
Think about what real learning looks like: a kid puzzling through why their Adirondack chair in wood shop collapsed and trying again, or someone finally understanding the implications of a historical event because they connected it to something happening in the current news cycle. None of this shows up on a scantron sheet.
A 2018 study argues SAT/ACT scores serve as proxies for general intelligence, as nearly all challenging cognitive tests load on general cognitive abilities regardless of design intent. This means we're measuring a student’s baseline intelligence, not what they gained from the curriculum.
Teaching to the Test Becomes the Curriculum
When your funding depends on scores, you limit your lessons to what's tested. 2023 OECD data revealed that U.S. students spend a disproportionate time on reading and math compared to global averages, crowding out arts and physical education since they don’t figure prominently on standardized tests.
Schools serving low-income students are hit hardest by this narrowing. They can't afford to lose funding, so they drill test content more intensively. Meanwhile, wealthier schools with secure funding keep offering theater, debate, science fairs—the stuff that inspires kids to actually want to learn.
Anxiety Has Real Consequences
Oxford Learning reports approximately 16-20% of students have high test anxiety, another 18% moderate, impacting 10 million North American children with symptoms like nausea and panic, leading to half-letter grade drops.
Some kids simply don’t test well. They know the material, having studied for hours and could tell you everything about the Civil War or quadratic equations. And yet, the moment they sit down in front of that test booklet, their mind goes blank. The test isn't measuring what they learned; it's measuring how they perform under pressure.
High-stakes testing environments increase cortisol levels and impair working memory. We're literally creating conditions that prevent students from showing what they know. And somehow we've decided this is an acceptable way to make decisions about school funding, teacher evaluations, and student advancement.
The Equity Problem Runs Deep
Standardized tests have always favored certain students. The SAT was literally designed in the early 1900s to identify "naturally intelligent" students who'd had access to rigorous prep. Not much has changed.
In 2024, students from families earning about $117,000 or more scored an average of 1152 on the SAT, while those from families making under $55,700 averaged 887—a 265-point difference. That gap isn't about intelligence or potential. It's about access to test prep, tutors, practice materials, quiet study spaces, good nutrition, and stable housing.
Some people argue these tests provide an objective standard, a way to compare students from different schools. Meanwhile, The Princeton Review charges $1,400 for SAT prep courses, while Kaplan offers packages up to $4,600. There's nothing objective about a system where wealthy families can buy score improvements.
What We Lose Is Bigger Than We Think
When standardized tests become the goal, we lose curiosity and the messy, nonlinear process of actually figuring things out. We also lose time for the subjects that make education meaningful and broad, such as philosophy, art history, creative writing, shop class, and home economics. These are the classes where students learn who they are and what they care about. It’s where they develop taste, judgment, and a unique voice.
Finland, where students consistently rank among the highest performers globally, famously has one standardized test, at the end of high school. Their system prioritizes teacher autonomy, student wellbeing, and actual learning over test performance. Maybe we could learn something from that.
