That time of year has finally arrived where students are becoming swamped by standardized testing. From the ACT to SAT students are kept busy with their regular school work and extra studying. But more recently a newer standardized test has been introduced to arizona students, the AzMerit. Starting in 2015, the AzMerit was given to schools across Arizona to replace the AIMS test.

With a rocky start the AzMerit faced backlash from many students and parents. In regards to the test, many parents had their children opt out of taking it. While it may have been the first year of testing and still foreign to students and faculty, the test is not actually optional. The school is actually required to test at least 95 percent of students.

Even with all the problems schools are having with the AzMerit, the test is aiding in assessments of students. Assistant superintendent for K-12 educational services Dr. Matt Strom explained exactly what AzMerit does, “The intent of these assessment is really to measure student proficiency, and progress, relative to the set of standards that they were intended to learn throughout the year.”

Essentially a newer and more improved version of the previous AIMS test, the main difference being students do not need to pass the AzMerit to graduate like whereas they had to with AIMS. Even though it may not seem necessary for schools, these standardized tests do aid in measuring where students are academically and can help faculty and school districts in formulating new curriculums to further students.

With all of the conflicts surrounding AzMerit, there have been questions over whether the test should be replaced. One possibility would be replacing it with the ACT.

“The ACT costs money it’s not like Azmerit where we just have students take it,” Principal Dan Serrano said, “I really doubt that we would say ‘you have to take this test and you have to pay for it’, I think we would figure out a way to pay for it.”

In regards to payment for the ACT, the district is currently working on the grant which provides for the test.

“AzMerit is not an accurate representation of what we learn in school,” Senior Maya Curl said, “the ACT would serve a better purpose for students who are planning for college and receiving scholarships.”