Standardized testing is a great way to compare oneself to students all around the world and to see whether one is above or below average, so many schools now have regular standardized tests administered as a way of checking whether the current curriculum is succeeding in preparing the school’s students for college or not. While standardized tests are often difficult and tricky, students who take these tests are usually more prepared for high school or college in the future.
“Our teachers have prepared us for this exam by teaching the materials from the books.” Lydia, a sixth grader, stated. “I am confident that I can score high on this exam.” Many students felt very confident in their chances of scoring above average because usually the standardized tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), which is taken generally by middle and high school students, or the PSAT (Preliminary SAT), which is taken by high school students, feature subjects normally taught in school; they test the students on their understanding of basic math skills, and reading and writing abilities.
When all of the tests are graded, all of the scores are compiled, and then averages are taken. After receiving the test results, the student can then compare his scores in each of the categories, Math, Reading, and Writing, with all the students who took the test. Afterwards, the student can determine the areas where he needs to improve or study in order to score higher next time.
“I think that they are pretty easy; because of the multiple choice questions, it is less likely for a student to miss a question.” Lydia noted. While the PSAT and the SAT deduct 1/4 of a point for every missed question, the ITBS does not. Moreover, the ITBS has several levels intended for different age groups and is mainly used for instructional improvements, whereas the PSAT has only one level and is mainly used to prepare for the SAT.
Furthermore, most standardized tests are designed so that in the end, the results will form a “Bell Curve”, which means that most test takers fill score somewhere in the middle, while few will score a very low score or an extremely high score. This ensures that the tests are created fairly for all groups; if it did not have this design, the tests would be either too difficult or too easy. Moreover, these standardized tests consist of questions that are created by experts and experienced teachers, and the questions that appear on the tests are often randomly chosen by a computer to ensure fairness.
Generally, most students benefit from taking standardized tests because they become capable of sitting through hours of exam without having to take breaks. Even though standardized tests do indicate one’s level of understanding of a particular subject, or sometimes even one’s ability to take that test, it is important to know that they do not accurately reflect one’s intelligence or competence in the real world
Topic: School life
School Corridors Quieted as SLAS Prepares for its Standardized Testing
by Calvin Ma
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