Standardized testing is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent manner. It’s a test where everyone is given the same test which is scored the same way. One example where standardized tests can be most commonly found is at school. There are advantages and disadvantages about everything and standardized tests are not an exception.
Pro: 1. Pinpoints Areas Of Improvement
Most standardized tests usually have stems like organizing information or able to analyze images. If a student does worse in one stem than another then it would be easier to practice that one stem more.
Pro: 2. Evaluate Progress
It can help schools evaluate progress by seeing if a certain grade or class is doing better than it was at the start of the year. They could see what led to the improved performance and trace it back. By doing this, schools can implement what they did into the curriculum for future students.
Pro: 3. Training For Exams
Exams are most often than not multiple choice tests and this helps them train for it. Getting prepared and accustomed to the style of test taking makes students ready for exams.
Pro: 4. Prevents Bias
Teachers can have conflicting opinions and so taking standardized tests can eliminate any bias there might be. Each question has a definite answer and a rationale behind it.
Pro: 5. Easier To Mark
Instead of dealing with multiple pieces of paper needing to have every question marked, a gradecam just has to be scanned. The computers don’t have glitches and make it a much faster ordeal. Even taking a standardized test online is easier than a written test.
Con: 1. Lack Of Creativity
Filling in a gradecam sheet for an hour or two for a multiple choice test isn’t fun and people who do not excel at written tests cannot perform at their best. Projects are usually not something used to measure if a student understands a certain topic and this causes the creative mind-sets to deplete.
Con: 2. The Promotion Of Cheating
The pressure that is linked with test scores promote cheating among the students and it makes no one learn in the long run. In the U.S, teachers were caught changing their students’ marks because they were worried about low scores.
Con: 3. Passing Not Learning
This mindset is quite common is a school environment as students are more focused on passing a test or class than learning any information. Passing classes have become a priority for numerous students and the averages that come with it.
Con: 4. Assuming Everyone Has The Same Learning Background
The standardized tests assume that everyone taking it has the same learning background and that is not accurate at all. Some people might not have learned some things and when it shows up on the test all the student can do is guess. Studying more won’t change a thing due to the different teaching styles teachers have and the curriculum could be different for different schools or classes.
Con: 5. Lack Of Confidence
Students can be knowledgeable about certain topics but they might not be as skilled when taking a test. It can be hard when a student does not get the mark the like and it can impact their emotional well being greatly.
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