Summer is drawing near and so is everyone’s favorite, standardized testing. Whether that be freshman and sophomores taking WYTOPP or juniors and seniors striving to do their best on the ACT, standardized testing is a topic that many have different judgments and views. 

Recently, PHS juniors participated in the ACT on March 29. As they walked into the Park County Fairgrounds to take the test, the students were overwhelmed by nerves. PHS junior Raven Tobin was very stressed prior to taking this test because of how intimidating it can be.

“I was so nervous to take this test,” Tobin said. “When I took WYTOPP my freshman and sophomore years, I wasn’t as stressed as I was for the ACT. I think I was anxious because this test has much more meaning behind it, future wise, for a student who has goals, rather than WYTOPP.” 

People tend to avoid standardized tests due to the extra stress. Junior Anna Bartholomew absolutely despised standardized testing until she started seeing positive results on her tests because of the extra time and work she put into getting better results.  

“I took my ACT test the first time, and if I’m being completely honest, I did not do as well as I know I could’ve done,” Bartholomew said. “Since this test really does matter, I decided to put in extra work and time over spring break to study for the ACT and saw a tremendous improvement in my scores. I would advise anyone who is going to take it, to study. It’s worth it.” 

Even though the ACT is a test that a lot of people do not enjoy taking, it is a test that many people take seriously because of the opportunities it can provide for the future. Junior Dane Lauritzen believes that depending on a student’s strive and goals for the future, the ACT scores can be very beneficial. 

“I think the ACT is worth it,” Lauritzen said. “ A good score on the test can open a lot of doors for you whether that be scholarships or a school being more likely to accept you. I think the ACT is a good indicator of how one will do in college but not always accurate. I’m not doing well in school at the moment, but I have a super score of 32. I don’t think a low score means you will do poorly in college; it all comes down to will and determination.”

On October 13, a few sophomores were given the opportunity to take a test similar to the ACT called the PSAT which distinguishes students who qualify as National Merit Scholars for award merit scholarships. It gave an eye opener to some students about how important these tests can be along with why they are taken so seriously.   

“I honestly didn’t really know what to expect until the timer started and I opened my book,” sophomore Keegan Hicswa said. “After getting my scores back recently, I was proud of myself for how I did on my first try, but I definitely am going to take it even more serious the next time. It definitely gave me an outlook on how the ACT and similar tests will look like in the future.”