For many students, parents, and even teachers, “standardized tests” is a stressful phrase. They may stir up worries about pressure, preparation, and long-term consequences. While those feelings are valid, it’s important to understand why standardized tests are necessary and effective.
They Encourage Accountability
Giving a student a target date and expectation for a standardized test is, at its heart, not any less reasonable than any other exam, test, or quiz that they will have to take over their educational career. Dates are usually given well in advance, and resources like sat subject test tutoring Edison nj are available to prepare.
They Are Presented Objectively
Many people overlook the importance of the word “standardized” in standardized testing. This means that the same test, or a test built under the same guidelines, is being administered to everyone taking it at the district, state, or national level. This mitigates the possibility of conscious or unconscious bias being inserted into the test by the people writing the questions. It will also lessen the chances of a student “lucking out” and knowing an answer because they are more familiar with something of regional importance. The category distribution of these tests should equalize and weigh left-brained and right-brained studies to paint an overall picture of the student’s knowledge.
They Are Easily Comparable
College admission boards can look at standardized test scores and easily sum up a student’s general educational aptitude because those numbers are designed to be simple, clear pieces of data. In addition, state and federal governments can use them to determine how well a school or district is performing and allocate funds to provide assistance to those that are not delivering optimal educational experiences.
While there is no perfect way to asses a student or group of students on a large scale, standardized tests are a very effective way to grade students uniformly.
