Do colleges put too much emphasis on standardized tests? Standardized tests might be good indicators of who will do well within a school system, but don’t necessarily predict one's future success in life. Some students are just better test takers than others and shouldn’t be compared as a whole based on test scores alone. Scores don’t accurately portray the natural capabilities of students and don’t show some of the skills and character traits that are a key part of success. Standardized tests creates stress in students and because students know that tests affect their future lives, they do whatever they can to pass, which may lead to cheating, and they aren't teaching anything at all. Because so much emphasis is placed on the tests, teachers spend more time “teaching to the test” and create artificial learning environments.
A major fault of standardized testing is tests don’t measure learning as a whole and the student’s personality. Standardized tests, by virtue of being multiple-choice, don't allow for students to express themselves. Tests don’t value creativity. A student who writes a more creative answer in the margins of such a test, doesn’t realize that a human being won’t even see this creative response; that machines grade these tests, and a creative response that doesn’t follow the format is a wrong response. These tests are coaching students to all think alike, making them all think inside of the box instead of out. Skills most sought out by employers are communication, analytical, and adaptability skills, skills that aren’t taught on a standardized test but are highly requested by careers. Skills that deal with your ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be addressed simply can’t be taught on a standardized test and cripple a student’s natural ingenuity.
Education reforms could increase the pressure for students and teachers to cheat. According to...