Assessing Standardized Testing’s Truth 

By: Mariam Wali, Opinion Reporter

In a world with diverse people managing different minds, standardized testing, a one-size method of measuring a student’s understanding, isn’t meant to fit all. Students naturally possess unique approaches to learning such as visual, auditory, hands-on, and other preferences. However, standardized tests predominantly rely on written or multiple-choice formats, overlooking these variations in learning styles.

Most have undergone the unfortunate predicament of facing a test that demands an on-the-spot recall of everything they’ve previously learned. But are students being fairly assessed on their comprehension of the material? 

With a spectrum of learners, standardized testing only regards a singular box of a student, neglecting those who may exhibit their knowledge differently, often prioritizing memorization over the application of grasping information. Overall, this test fails to showcase the depth of understanding in students who excel in analytical or creative thinking.

An unfit examination for one’s comprehension of knowledge combined with triggering mental pressures, like testing anxiety, highlights outside variables that can likely disrupt fair grading as an outcome. This results in a sabotaged academic cycle that sets students unmotivated for doing poorly in a system not set to justifiably assess them. 

WJPS 12th grader, Danya Ramirez said, “Standardized testing doesn’t fully show what students know due to all the stress.”

WJPS 12th grader, Riley Ramnath said, “The way we currently test has limits, we need a new way that exhibits what students really know and can do.”

To both resolve this fault and work to revolutionize the student experience, by distributing various forms of testing based on a student’s learning style, we can then present a better-set education system that accommodates all learners.

“Exam” by albertogp123 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.