Pros & cons of test control

It is generally acknowledged that schools are portrayed as an institution where a person’s memory power is put to the test, not the potential, skills nor the material learned or studied. While tests “ utilize questions and exercises to measure key aspects of a student such as knowledge, intelligence, capacity, and aptitude” (Merriam Webster), people have begun to view it with a degree of unfairness. Students engage in summative tests, not formal, therefore serve the purpose to simply monitor not educate. “ Teachers accept the provision of tests for improving student’s attitude, efforts and engagement in class” (ProCon).

Despite the benefits it may possess, “ students often find tests difficult to comprehend, initialize and quiet time-consuming” (Lambert) due to being associated with different learning skills, students share a lack on interest as well. Today, I side with the millions of lost voices suppressed by the educational curriculum with a goal to persuade/bring light to the truth of standardized tests and for all to become creative and healthy students once again. Examinations, tests, and projects may be steps for success for teachers, but that is not the case for a repeating cycle of negative impacts on students, critical social ties along with emotional and personal struggles that are being dealt with, until now.

To begin with, students are forced to endure the negative impacts that arise with tests, struggles that were imperceptible in the eye of the society and the education system. For example, tests are the main cause that has resulted in “ loss of creativity, curiosity, along with harmful stress, no priorities, etc ” (Strauss). These are just some of the million examples of factors that contribute to a student’s education. Students are limited to what they are to know than what not to explore. Students cannot be interactive and are instructed to answer questions that “ relate to our everyday lives.” Although the majority of the knowledge taught in school seems pointless, tests given the right to evaluate a student truly is senseless.

Teenagers in high school, yet to adapt to the adulthood are unable to do so if assigned the same test given to each individual. Students lose interest in their education, trust for the school and hope for the educational system. With no other choice remaining, students rely upon cheating to achieve what tests were presumed could not. Secondly, testing and grades create a divide among students and harm their relationship. Tests do not always affect an individual’s evaluations but it can personally and emotionally influence their mental state as well. For instance, “ Test grades can impact confidence and are unable to provide the true picture of how capable a student is in reality” (Nixon). Tests pose as a nerve wrecking task to complete for many students unable to cope with pressured atmospheres and are overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. This issue has constantly resulted in poor performance due to lack of focus or the will to achieve. However, excelling students may begin to judge others based on their grades and divide the school into categories of misinterpreted intelligence. In fact, this issue has escalated to a point where expectations have begun to paint a student’s academic level blindfolded of the truth.

What more remains? With one final call to make, it has become evident with the arguments brought to light that tests have provokes battles among students, fighting for balance themselves to manage their way to success. However, with a blind eye towards the future generation’s struggle with facing social, personal and emotional obstacles, change is in a desperate cry of need. Memorizing and learning are two different things yet to be distinguished and the very moment it is realized, change will arise for a better hope. To all students, graduates and those progressing into adulthood, it is time to put the society to the test, it is time to put the system into the test, it is time to put the world into the test, and define that the answer, reality and the truth are all You.