There are very few people in this country that look forward to taking tests.
They can be dreadful and horrible for many, but a piece of cake for others.
Many students go through elementary school, junior high and then high school, working as hard as they can (some just barely getting by) just to make it into college.
For most, that’s it. Once they get here and they get that degree, it’s time to step out into the “real world” to get a job, maybe start a family or [insert dream life here].
Then there is that crew of folks who want to become teachers, lawyers and doctors.
For these unfortunate souls, there are special tests on which they need to do well in order to move beyond this level of higher education.
Rose Carter, a Temple University senior and biology major, is trying to become a veterinarian.
Most schools are satisfied with the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), but several veterinarian schools on the West Coast prefer the VCAT (Veterinary College Admission Test).
The latter are offered only twice a year, whereas GRE is offered year-round.
Carter took the GRE this past summer.
So, while many Temple students were all vacationing or working summer jobs, she was studying.
Despite the fact that Carter had to study over her break, she said she feels that it was “easier to take it [the GRE] during the summer so it didn’t conflict with my heavy course load.”
Temple University’s Measurements and Research Center (MARC), located on the third floor of Sullivan Hall, contains a Testing Research Center (TRC) that offers help to students like Carter.
According to their Web site, MARC’s mission “is to provide accurate and cost-effective service to the Temple community in the areas of test development, test selection, test administration, test scoring, statistical analysis, educational research, data entry, and automated data capture.”
In addition, the site states that the TRC holds “more than 5,000 tests and measurement instruments, as well as reference books, test reviews, and text books related to the fields of assessment and testing.”
MARC is able to administer and score such tests as Graduate and Professional School Entrance Examinations as well as PRAXIS tests (Professional Assessment for Beginning Teachers).
Sally Frazee, Temple’s assistant director of MARC, explained that after the dues are paid and the test is taken, the highest score is usually reported to the graduate schools.
The cost of testing varies from $50 to almost $350.
According to Frazee, MARC doesn’t offer preparatory courses for the tests because it would constitute a conflict of interest due to the fact that they proctor the actual tests.
MARC tries to accommodate as many Temple students for whatever test they need to take.
For those who plan to continue through school after their Temple undergraduate work is complete, MARC offers a close, professional environment for consultation.
For more information on MARC, call (215) 204-8611 or visit www.temple.edu/marc.
Holly Logan can be reached at hlogan@temple.edu.
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