You know, I just had to put my two cents in here. I almost posted last night but thought twice because this is a beef with me and policy makers. Others may feel the same way, or may not. So here goes.
As an educator, I’m tired of policy makers forcing us to take tests which affect our paths in life. No “one” test should determine pass or fail, promotion or retention, acceptance or not. It should be a conglomeration and totality of the student/cadet, etc. Not every student is a good test taker. Many know the concepts but buckle under the anxiety of the test or may be sick on test day for example. Also, tests measure different attributes. The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. The GRE General Test measures the skills that you've acquired over the high school and college years. The exam aims to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. Therefore, it is an aptitude test meant to measure your potential to succeed in graduate school.
Though I believe any one of these tests can “contribute” to the projected success of a student/cadet, I don’t believe that they should be the solitary form of evaluation. Don’t get me wrong. They are beneficial and most of the time are great indicators. But just not by themselves. There are so many contributing factors to the success and failure of humans. Sometimes spirit and determination are the most important attributes that drive an individual’s success. If these aren’t factored in, that person may never have an opportunity to show their capabilities and what they truly have to offer. Hopefully, this tool, if anything, will be “added” to the GPA component. Universities, colleges, military institutions, businesses etc. all include more than one component on evaluations. That’s also one of the reasons why there is such a thing as an interview. Resumes and scores can’t give a true picture of the individual.
So cfogle311, I pray that your info is not accurate. I don’t believe this will “even out the playing field.” Adding it might. But not replacing the GPA.
ok I’ll get off my soap box. Thanks for letting me vent.