16+ Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing (Explained)

Standardized tests are actually an attempt of taking a test ‘across the board’ to measure of the ability of a student in regard to academics. Apart from that, standardized tests are also used for determining the present averages and for identifying the lows and the highs in the performance of a student.

It is carried out to make sure that every student is treated by that. All the students have to answer the same set of questions. The narking rubrics are also the same.

Many questions, arguments, disputes, and arguments have arisen regarding standardized tests. Down below some of the most discussed pros and cons of standardized tests have been discussed.

Table of Contents

Pros of the standardized test

Standardized testing is a good metric of learning for the students:

When the students tend to be assessed on the basis of the results of the standardized tests, a potential metric cam is gained which can be used to verify the quality of the curriculum.

When an exam is conducted by a single and independent organization, the test grades or the score of the standardized tests are very useful since these come from a source that is neutral and it often gives data that can be used to order independent schools in the U.S.

Standardized testing helps in pinpointing areas that need improvement:

When the data of a standardized test is received, it can be used for evaluating how well the various education program is going on, or in other words, it helps in evaluating the effectiveness of the education system of a particular area or locality.

If the students from a particular locality or area, it can be figured out that that locality needs improvement.

Standardized tests help schools to evaluate the progress

The assessment data obtained through standardized tests can also help evaluate the academic performance of a school.

It will let them know if the pre-existing faculty are eligible enough to teach the students in a proper manner and also it lets the students know that whether a correct method is being used to teach the students or not.

The assessment will also help the school measure the students’ performance and help them progress.

Cons of standardized tests are as follows:

Test scores might impact the confidence of the students.

when a student performs in a standardized test, or if by any chance, the test scores are not up to mark, it can leave a negative impact on the minds of the students. These will further tend to hinder their self-confidence.

Also, their fellow students and the parents of the students become judgemental regarding their performance.

But, one has to remember that a student cannot entirely judge the academic aspects of the students.

disadvantages of private institutes test

There is pressure to “teach to the test”:

In some cities and districts, academic standardized tests are made mandatory, and in most of the cases, the teachers’ jobs solely tend to depend on the test results.

That negatively impacted the teaching process as the teachers then start teaching individually for the tests.

They stop teaching the students anything that is not the syllabus and the education system loses versatility.

Scores do not give an accurate picture of the capability of students:

There are many people who tend to believe that the academic grades of the students are the ones that are the sole responsibility to decide how capable a student is and how potential he or she is in terms of academics.

But this is certainly not the case in the case of many students. There might be some sort of hindrance in the test performance, either due to the illness of the students or some other reasons which have nothing to do with the academic potential or the overall capability of the students.

Thus, standardized tests tend to be more disadvantageous for those to believe that it is the one that can decide their potential.

It creates a limited scope of learning.

It goes without saying that standardized tests only measure the few selected areas of a student. These few areas can writing skills, reading skills, calculating skills, etc.

But, apart from that, there are also many aspects that a student requires to learn, such as some set of soft skills, like behavior, morals, ethics, and values.

So, this does not appreciate those positive aspects of the students who are having such skills and are solely academic-oriented.

Though standardized tests have many benefits, it is necessary for the schools to understand that these tests are meant to make people judgemental about the students. The above pros regarding standardized tests will help one decide whether standardized tests should really be conducted or not.