Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) is a standardized test administered by the state of Arizona. All students in grades 3-8 and high school are required to take the AIMS test. High school students take the tests for the first time in the spring of their sophomore year. In order to graduate, a student must meet the standard in all three categories of the test which include Math, Reading and Writing. If a student doesn't pass any one of the three tests then he/she can retake the test(s) in the fall or spring of their junior and senior year (5 tries altogether). According to a comparison of standardized tests, Arizona is second-to-last in the number of passing students among the fifty U.S. states. A score of at least 500 on each section denotes a passing performance. The performance ranges on the AIMS are "falls far below the standard," (fail) "approaches the standard," (fail) "meets the standard," (pass) and "exceeds the standard." (pass)

In addition, starting from those of the class of 2006, high-school students in Arizona who exceed all three standards in reading, writing, and math are automatically awarded a scholarship under the Board of Regents High Honors Tuition Waiver. This gives a student free tuition to any of the three state-run colleges.

• Some people jokingly abbreviate the AIMS for Absolutely Intolerable Methods for Suffering.