AGAINST:

Usually, when students are asked who they want to impress with their SAT scores, the most common answer is colleges.

The SAT is a standardized test that assesses students on their critical reading, math, and writing skills. Its primary function is to help colleges infer a student’s merit. If a student plans to attend college, then the test is an essential part of their success in getting in; for those planning on scrapping a college career, however, should they be required to take a test that holds no sway on their future in trade school?

Students looking at a career in a trade profession require skill and craftsmanship, rather than a typical college degree. Despite the completely different nature of trade schools to colleges, students attending trade schools are still forced to take a test that will have no bearing on their future.

It can be argued that all employers consider an SAT score when hiring. The reality is the opposite: employers of trade jobs rarely require an assessment of a worker’s SAT score. They rely on an employee’s merit in the trade paired with communication skills.

“Being intelligent is big, but I would much rather have capability than book smarts in a trade worker,” employer Richard Hanton said.

Scrolling through Google jobs, the requirement of an SAT score submission is seldom seen in tradesmen professions. The leading question: if employers do not consider SAT scores, then why waste time on the SAT at all?

FOR:

When there is a should not there is always a should. The district insists that all students are required to take the SAT. It follows a policy that has been in place since 1926. The main argument is that taking the SAT is more beneficial than not because it allows the student to change their mind later in life, meaning they could embark on a career that could require an SAT score, if they choose.

Employers in some fields assess an employee’s SAT score. Among these jobs are some of the most esteemed professions, including financial analysts, engineering field jobs and publishing editors among many others. The salaries of these jobs are high, $22.50/hour for a financial analyst according to PayScale.com, as such the qualifications are considerably higher and based on intellectual skill when compared to trades jobs.

But the main reason students take the SAT is to apply to colleges. Colleges are the main source of SAT examination, as SATs and ACTs show colleges a student’s academic skill and attention span.

“If I want to get into a good college I need an even better SAT score,” senior Alex Moore said.

With SATs being such a crucial part of college acceptance, schools continue to argue all students take it to continue a feeling of choice later in life, even if it means sacrificing three hours of time in the present.