Parents and students in Westport are criticizing what they call an "unnecessary" state-administered test.

More than 200 students at Staples High School opted out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test.

Many students and parents who spoke to News 12 spoke negatively of the timing of the SBAC, saying that it comes during an already academically challenging year in which they also take the SATs and AP exams.

Students said that they did not see the point of taking the SBAC when it would not jeopardize their chances of graduating. Instead, the students spent their time at the field house or library doing school work or passing the time in other ways.

"I already took the graduation requirement last year," said Alex Uman, one of the juniors who opted out. "It's a two-hour test where you're on a computer screen, and I really don't want to sit for two hours in front of a computer when I could be actually learning."

State officials say they understand the plight of parents and students. One state senator has been working on a bill that would replace the SBAC with another nationally recognized college-entrance exam.