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Why the SAT and ACT Matter

Day one,  I ask my students what the test they're about to take actually measures. Many of them haven't even considered this. I offer some options: Is this an intelligence test? An achievement test? A test of critical thinking skills?

Well, yes, in some sense, it's all of those, but more than ever the standardized tests--long deplored for their reduction of complex individuals to mere numbers and now eschewed completely by many  institutions of higher learning--are becoming the last bastion of critical thinking skills in this country. The fact that most college-bound students have to reckon with them at some point, even if they never have before and never will again, is a good thing.

And what's critical thinking? It means, in a nutshell, making sense of the world. With your own mind. Using your own mental powers. Not being subject to manipulation by advertisers and politicians. Able to assess information and make sound logical deductions about sources, content, and agendas. The skills you need to succeed on the SAT, ACT, or any other standardized admission test are the same ones you need to successfully navigate life in an age of inundation by information.

Critical thinking means mental freedom. It means individuality. It means personal advocacy and advancement. If you've never tried it before, try it now.

Consider approaching the tests from a critical thinking perspective. Remember, it's less about mastery of material than about learning to use what you know to earn points. It's not an achievement test like the AP's. It's not an I.Q. test--it doesn't measure how much intelligence you have. It's a skills-based test. It's a game.

With each question, think: what am I being asked? What information do I need to answer the question? Do I have all the information required? If not, what's my workaround? Remember, you don't need to know everything--just enough to score the point.

If you enjoyed this post, please visit my website at www.georgiagelmis.com to find out how I can help your student. Email contact@georgiagelmis.com, phone 917-574-8662.

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