Some individuals argue that pupils are not necessitated to take standardised exams in schools. I am in disagreement with this viewpoint, and in this essay, I will explain my reasons.
First and foremost, exam results can be compared nationally, which leads to higher quality of education. This is because the results can help identify that some schools or districts consistently have good results. By analysing their approaches, other institutes can adopt or adapt their best practices, which might involve teacher training, teaching methods, changing of curricula, and student assessment, resulting in continuously refining their methods and approaches. Therefore, they are able to reach those higher schools’ outcomes, as well as improved performance in students. As an instance, the National Assessment and Educational Progress is a nationwide programme being implemented on the United States’ students in all states to assess their results in various subjects. This programme acts as a standard benchmark to identify areas that need to be improved among all states in the Unites States. As a result, standardised tests can help schools to be compared across the country, so as to find out which educational areas need more instruction.
Apart from this, standardised tests are a way to assess students, which results in improved academic achievement. The reason for this is that by having tests, tutors and educators can assure that students have met specific academic achievements, leading to identifying the areas that they might need additional instruction or support, and assisting them to overcome their problems in that specific area or subject. In consequence, pupils can take advantage of those extra instructions, and perform more effectively, as they have received the extra help from their instructors. A study conducted by Black, J. and William, D. in 2020, demonstrated that formative assessment, including standardised tests, or other forms of evaluation, have significant effects on the students’ learning outcomes, and that is because they have the opportunity to receive supplemental assistance from their teachers, whenever the need arises. As a result of this, tests being taken by students can be a pivotal aid for them, as they can be provided with more instruction in the area needed.
However, some concerned parties are of the opinion that students might merely study to pass the tests. They believe that tests scores are highly emphasised in the educational system, and they are a primary foundation to evaluate students’ understanding and knowledge of the subject, which might create pressure on students. As a result, students might only prioritise test-taking and memorisation, so as to get better grades, which might undermine the value of deep learning and understanding of the material. As convincing as this point is, I disagree with this point of view, and this is because not all students behave in this way. So many students study in order to gain a deep understanding of the material, not just for the sake of getting a reasonable result. Nikola Tesla, the brilliant engineer and inventor, would be a noteworthy example. He was consistently getting great scores; both in school and university, particularly in mathematics and physics, and his significantly good grades were not merely for passing the tests. In addition, because of all his perfect outcomes, he was able to attend Austrian Polytechnic School in Graz, followed by Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague.
By way of conclusion, I once again reaffirm my position that standardised tests are a way to evaluate students, so that they can receive more instruction, and perform better in school. Moreover, when the results are compared in a nation, it can assist authorities to identify the schools that need more and better strategies in order to improve academically.