The ACT's test providers have announced that they will be switching to digital test-taking methods as early as spring 2015. Now, this won't affect us, but it might affect other tests that we might have to take in the future. Many standardized tests have switched to computers already. I recently took an Accuplacer test at my community college and it was all on a computer. It was a little different, considering that the writing portion was timed, and luckily, I type fast. To avoid problems such as these, the ACT providers say that although they are switching to using computers, they will still have the regular, old-fashioned pencil and paper version of the test available for whoever wants it. One main benefit of the switchover is the time it takes to get results. As it stands now, we have to wait at least two weeks to get our test results. Once they switch to computers, students will know their scores in a matter of minutes! Very efficient, I'm a little jealous. However, one main problem when switching to higher- technology ways, is glitches. Computers are not 100% reliable, as we all know. Jon Erickson, president of ACT's education division, said, "Hopefully, this will be more relevant than just sitting down and taking a fill-in-the-bubble test." I'm not sure about all of that, a test is still a test. I wouldn't count on anyone looking forward to, or jumping up and down in excitement for taking this test.
Source:http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/06/act-tests-online-college/2139665/
I believe standardized tests should remain the way they were originally provided. Switching things around causes complications and alterations that may end up not being fair.
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