Once every school year, students in Arizona are required to take the Arizona Merit tests for the state. For Desert Vista students, testing for writing begins on March 27th.

“Az Merit is really hard and really stressful to me,” sophomore Sebastian Lisker said, “I like to do well in school and on tests.”

Some students find testing to be really easy but other students, not so much. Some students really stress over the testing and work hard to prepare because they want to do well. The testing might not count for a grade for their semester classes, but it counts for them.

“I have mixed feelings about AZ Merit days because the tests are long and really boring,” senior Zak Koudssi said, “But I like how the administration gives us an hour for lunch because I just leave campus to go eat.”

Some students dread AZ Merit testing because the days are so long and boring but other students actually enjoy the testing days because it takes away from actual classes. The testing sessions we have this year are two days long and each day has a testing session, lunch, and three class periods.

“The administration should just let us leave for lunch on AZ Merit days. Last year having about a thousand people trying to get passes all at once was a complete mess,” senior Zak Koudssi said.