The SAT test is a nightmare for almost every college-bound student. This examination, which lasts for a grueling three hours and 45 minutes, challenges the mind and provides figures for college admission counselors to use.

The test was not always this long. With the addition of the essay and more multiple-choice questions came an extra hour of sitting in a stuffy room. The price of the exam was also raised by $12 to cover this new portion, increasing the total cost to $45. With so much pressure to do well, parents will often pay this price four or five times to ensure that their child receives the maximum score.

Many schools, however, do not consider the writing portion that prompted the price increase. Colleges don't know whether these scores are worth comparing yet. Now, students who hope to get into a good college are stuck in the testing room, answering questions and writing essays that will not really make a difference.

The College Board just recently announced that its new test can help predict freshman year college success better than high school grades. Colleges that have previously not considered the writing portion may now begin to do so as results come in.

The likelihood that any standardized test can predict success is questionable, as there are many different reasons for success, including personal determination and high school course rigor, according to Robert Schaeffer of Fairtest, a nonprofit group that opposes standardized testing.

So much pressure is put on students to do well that it may actually cause them to do worse. Late-night cramming to learn big words as well as stress studying the day before makes for some very tired students on the day of the exam.

Although it is impossible for every college to have the same admissions standards, schools should accept the writing portion because it is part of the test.

If a student takes the time to write a nice essay and answer more multiple-choice questions, the colleges should reward the effort by looking at the writing score. This is the reason students take the SATs in the first place.