Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing

Educational companies that produce these tests are ordinarily doing it for profit, the same tests are produced and used for the same things, evaluation of effectiveness of teachings on students, performance of teachers, classes, how well schools are doing overall, rather than individual tests and observation methods for different categories. These companies are more in the business for the financial aspect and acquisition they would earn from this, rather than enriching the minds of the new generation. The standardized tests do not provide any ways for students to improve and develop off of their test results. They are not being taught how to think, how to be inventive and imaginative, instead about memorization of content. (Armstrong, 1)

America is doing its students a disservice by assuming that the information they can gather from this test is worth the anxiety that the

There have been an increasing number of students who are misrepresented by a single score, yet academically succeed in college nonetheless. That is the primary reason why standardized tests should not be as highly regarded as other factors such as high-school GPA.

The tests narrow down the curriculum to focus on the subjects that are on the test, forgetting about the other subjects. Standardized tests cannot measure all that schools teach like how to be a problem solver. Standardized tests have not improved America’s education system. Every once in a while the world will submit their schools performance and they will be ranked with

SAT scores have been shown to be effective in predicting a student’s future performance in higher education, the military, and in the work force(Kemmerling). But, hundreds of colleges have already stopped requiring the SAT for college admission to inherit racial and economic inequality(Rocks). On another note, it is said that many parents approve of standardized testing. In reality, only 14 percent of parents said that testing is very important in measuring school effectiveness(Walker). Although standardized tests may seem like a safe and trustworthy option, they really

The tests are ineffective because they don’t measure all of what the students know, and what is important. The text stated, “Standardized Tests are IQ tests from one-hundred years ago. They are outdated.” Some reasons to why Standardized Tests are ineffective are that they don’t measure student’s creativity, and they make students feel they aren’t smart. In the 1950’s they only tested every two years.

The idea that one test can accumulate all of one student’s academic abilities is no longer accurate. Today, the standardized tests that are used not only discriminate against the non wealthy families, it also is not an accurate reading of all of one’s abilities in and out of school. The tests also have become such a huge focus in the classroom that it is beginning to take away the process of learning in a classroom and being replaced with memorization to get good test scores. The standardized tests do not need to disappear all together, however the tests need a lot of revising if the states continue to use them as they do

The silence in the room, with only the sound a pencil makes with the paper, produces the heart-thumping atmosphere standardized testing gives to students. Most students experience the overwhelming stress that is brought upon their academic life from SAT, ACT, or any standardized tests. They see them as one of the most important factors for college acceptance. The constant worry that sits on their shoulders will not disappear until testing is over, and there is nothing they can do about it until they hopefully get a letter from their dream college.

For some students, these tests can trigger intense feelings of stress, anxiety, and self-doubt, leading to a decline in their overall well-being. Children who struggle with test-taking or have a history of test anxiety may find themselves overwhelmed by the pressure and expectations surrounding standardized tests. Even students who typically perform well in school may feel an immense burden to perform at their best on these tests, particularly if they perceive the outcome as a reflection of their worth or intelligence. Receiving negative results on a standardized test may damage a student's self-esteem, leading to a lack of confidence in their abilities and causing them to question their academic potential. The effects of test-induced anxiety can be long-lasting, shaping a student's academic trajectory and success in the future.

“ Standardized test items are not parallel with typical classroom skills and behaviors. Due to the fact that questions have to be generalizable to the entire population, most items assess general knowledge and understanding. ”(Hurst) These tests limit many things and cause a huge disadvantage to not only students, but to the schools as well. Scores don't provide very much information when evaluating a student's achievement, a teacher's competency, or the success of a particular school or program.

It is average for a student in high school to take multiple standardized tests that judge how successful they will be in the future. Students tend to be stressed out, under pressure and try to cram everything they’ve learned from the past 18 years of their lives into their head for a test that may mean success or failure. In my opinion, standardized tests should not be mandatory to take for multiple reasons such as people may not be excellent test takers and other factors that come into play when an important day comes up; illnesses, stomach ache, stress, homework, studying and lack of sleep. Standardized testing does not truly test one’s intelligence. It does not let one think for themselves or develop their own thoughts or intellectual

School’s are using standardized testing for the wrong reason. “A standardized test is any examination that’s administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. There are two major kinds of standardized tests: aptitude tests and achievement tests” (Popham, 1999). The most common examples of aptitude tests are the SAT and the

This method will prevent students from gaining the knowledge they seek and will not work to their advantage later on in the future. Most high school classes are teaching students how to take tests rather than teaching them how to skilfully answer them and master them. This causes students to enter college and university unprepared as they develop little skill-making abilities. High-stake standardized testing, such as the SAT, is burdensome for students. The standardized test scores that a student receives determine which university a student can attend and this greatly impacts his or her future.

These people see standardized testing as inaccurate and a false way of measuring academic achievement. That is only a few of the many things seen as cons for standardized testing. Along with that the tests fail to measure such important aspects such as creativity and critical thinking skills. Studies indicate that standardized tests reward superficial thinking and might discourage more interpretive thinking. Next, as a result of the small fragment of knowledge that is tested, standardized tests capture a incomplete picture of student achievement.

Standardized testing does not require much of an effort. These tests are checked by the computer thus, saving more time and since these tests are administered in the same manner, it would be easier for them to evaluate the test results because these tests have its own standards. These tests are also objective and are based by general-knowledge thus, making the test results unbiased and non-subjective. Educators will also be able to compare and evaluate a student’s progress over a period of time. These tests would show whether a student has performed well or not (OccupyTheory, 2014).