College Entrance Exams: Do You Need to Take Them?

The PSATs, the SATs and the ACTs are three tests that haunt the nightmares of many high school students. These tests are touted by teachers, counselors and parents as critical exams that will determine if a student is accepted into the college program of their choice. However, is this really the case? Have you ever wondered how much weight these tests hold when it comes to the value of your college application?

What Do the Tests Measure?

Before you can determine how valuable your SAT or ACT score is, you first need to understand what these tests are actually measuring. As you are most likely aware of each of the college entrance exams have multiple sections. These sections usually include math, science, critical reading and a critical writing section. The purpose of these tests is to determine, not how much information you have retained over your years of high school, but how well you handle the challenges of preparing for the exam and how well you are able to apply the knowledge that you have.

College Admission and ACT/SAT Scores

Most college admission boards in the United States do require that students submit either an SAT score or an ACT score. They use these scores to gage how prepared the student is to meet the academic challenges of college life. However, these scores will not automatically get you into a school or keep you out of a school that you are interested in. They can, however, be used by the college admission board to choose between two candidates who are equally qualified. This means that your test score could be the final factor that makes or breaks your chances of getting into a coveted college program.

Do You Need to Take College Entrance Exams?

Do you need to take college entrance exams? The answer to this question depends a lot on what college or university that you are interested in attending. If the college you want to attend requires an SAT or ACT score then the answer is yes. However, if the college you want to attend doesn't require a college entrance exam score the answer can still be yes, because while the school doesn't require the score, they may still accept scores as an application supplement and use it to help them evaluate if you would be a good student for their school or not. In general, you will benefit from taking the SATs or the ACTs, if for no other reason then to practice your college level test taking skills.