Do Test Scores Really Matter?

Many people have asked this question year after year: do test scores really affect the future careers you want to pursue? Many people today take tests seriously, believing that their test scores will affect their future outcomes and even their future lives.

In America, schools all around the country give out a clear message that grades are everything. We are taught that academic excellence along with high SAT scores are the way to be accepted into elite colleges and universities. But do test scores actually measure long-term success? A 2002 study at the University of Michigan revealed that 80% of students actually based their self-esteem on their grades and academic achievements. For example, lower academic achievements are frequently associated with impaired motivation and high stress. The constant pursuit of superb grades can contribute to mental health problems and worsening anxiety. Not only does it affect mental health, but it can also affect other factors of a student's life. Research shows that having intense pressure to achieve perfect academic grades reduces risk taking and further inhibits creativity.

Some students experience a pressure so greatly that it drives them to engage in academic dishonesty in order to earn exceptional grades. According to a recent national survey out of 24,000 students from about 70 different high schools all over the country, an astonishing 64% admitted to cheating.

Many students assume that valedictorians would go on to lead successful careers in the future, but, surprisingly, that’s not always the case. A Boston researcher tracked more than 14 valedictorians across the country, but they discovered that none had been recognized as trailblazers or geniuses.

In an international study, Finland frequently ranked the best or one of the best in the world for academics due to a new structure of learning. Students in Finland are given no grades or tests in the first six years of primary school, though there is a final exam given in their senior year. This reveals the ineffectiveness of constant exams.

Overall, tests and grades are crucial, but it’s important to remember that they aren’t everything. Take Steve Jobs for example; he dropped out of college but yet he became the CEO of Apple. Even though grades are incredibly important, it doesn’t have to be at the expense of mental health and wellbeing.