Should North Dakota End Standardized Testing?

North Dakota colleges may change standards for student admissions.

Standardized college admissions testing became optional at many colleges because of the pandemic, including in North Dakota. According to Prairie Public NewsRoom, North Dakota colleges are discussing making the potential "test optional" college admissions permanent. But should schools get rid of standardized testing for college altogether?

Why are students required to take standardized tests?

Education Post states that "standardized tests are extremely useful for educators and their institutions to gauge progress and meet the needs of students." The website goes on to talk about standardized testing in education through all stages of life from readiness testing for Kindergarten to LSAT and MCAT testing for hopeful future doctors and lawyers. While standardized testing may be appropriate for specific things like being ready to start school or being ready to enter into legal and medical fields, why are those tests necessary for determining the educational fate of high school graduates?

Standardized testing is not good for all educational situations.

I am not an advocate of going to college unless you are going to be something like a doctor or a lawyer. HOWEVER, it does not make sense to me that standardized testing is important to even get a higher education. I was a good student and I did alright on standardized tests, but I was always so anxious and overthought everything when it came to them. And many other people get test anxiety, too.

Why should educational worthiness be determined by standardized testing?

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