Why Students Should not Have to Take Standardized Tests I don’t believe that high school students should have to pass a standardized test in order to receive a diploma. In my opinion it does not improve academic achievement but it worsens it. I have many valid reasons to support my opinion. The first reason I believe that high school students should not have to pass a standardized test is because it keeps many good, smart students out of college. Some colleges require a certain score for students to be eligible. If a student doesn’t meet the test score requirements of the college he/she wants to attend, they would not be able to get in. For example, my friend applied to the University of South Carolina and scored a 600 on the math section of the SAT. She needed to score at least a 650. In high school, she was an A-B student and never had a problem with academics. After taking the SAT and failing to meet the requirements, she was unable to attend the University of South Carolina. The second reason I believe high school students should not be required to pass a standardized test is because it does not prove that you are smarter than the next individual. I do believe that taking the test would allow colleges to see the areas in which students need help. In saying that, I don’t believe that it should be necessary to pass. For instance, a high school student who has not performed very well in math during the school year would struggle on the math section of the SAT. Colleges would see how that particular student does on tests and would see that is the only subject that the student needs help in. The third reason I believe high school students should not be required to pass a standardized test is because, in my opinion, if you pass all of your classes you shouldn’t have to take any extra test to graduate. If you have done well throughout your four years in high school, I do not believe that it is fair to let one test decide whether or not you will be