Not All Testing Is As Bad As You Think

In high school, standardized testing is a recurring theme, to some, a nightmare, to others, a chance to show what they know and can do. Although testing is often perceived as an ineffective and unfair practice, there are  upsides to regular testing and some benefits to standardized testing. Right now, there are no effective alternatives to standardized testing that are cost effective and practical. Standardized testing is by no means a perfect enterprise, and is not a complete reflection of a person's ability, but it can provide valuable information to teachers, students, and school administrators.

Standardized tests are not as accurate as they seem. According to the College Board's statistics, there has to be a difference of around 200 points on an SAT test for there to be a reliable difference between two students. This creates possible uncertainty in scoring, and means that the difference between the 40th percentile and 60th percentile are not significant. These tests can provide general trends and ideas about a student's knowledge on the limited testing area, but should not be misinterpreted as more precise than they actually are.

Although standardized tests are not as accurate as they are regularly perceived to be, classroom tests offer positive benefits to the student that are often overlooked. Tests force students to study and review material that might otherwise be forgotten or put aside. While students might not consider this a positive effect, tests generally increase the amount of time that students spend working on educational pursuits.

Furthermore, new research suggests that the simple act of taking a classroom test on recent material helps the student remember it to a much greater degree. Even though the students spent equal time reviewing all of the material that they were taught, the material that they were tested on was much easier to remember on a later test. In one specific trial, students got an average of an A- on material that had been previously tested, and a C+ on untested material. The subject matter was presented in equivalent methods, and the untested material was even reviewed three additional times.

Standardized testing should receive less attention than regular classroom tests, but still should be considered, in lieu of a better alternative. Regular classroom testing provides an opportunity to stop "forgetting", the bane of education. Even though standardized testing has flaws, it does provide information on a student's knowledge on a particular subject area as compared to other students, and  will continue to be used as a factor in college admissions and judging subject proficiency.

Regular testing, without the same degree of stress and pressure, can create a positive learning environment, focused on remembering information the first time, instead of wasting time relearning forgotten material. Standardized testing allows school administrators to take a holistic view at education and school growth that would be impossible due to the subjectivity of classroom exams, and teacher recommendations. Because standardized testing can be biased and subjective, regular classroom testing should be valued more, as it encourages positive learning.