Career Tests for Kindergarteners: Smart or Silly?

ACT, the organization behind the college entrance exam of the same name, has developed career tests for kindergarteners that will be available in schools as early as 2014. Will this multimillion-dollar project help usher kids toward the careers of their dreams, or is it pure folly?

The career tests will measure and track kids’ professional interests from kindergarten through high school graduation. It’ll also track their progress toward predetermined goals and their academic performance. These assessments hope to uncover students’ skill gaps so that educators can address them as they progress through the school system.

CBS News reports that the career tests for kindergarteners will pair “traditional testing with teacher-led projects to generate an instant, digital score.” Do you think kids display clear career preferences as early as 4 or 5, or should teachers wait a few years before fostering students’ potential professional interests?