I can still remember the excitement on their faces. “College! Yeah!” These were students who had registered for SAT exams. “Fools! All of them. They are fools. I weep for their poor souls”. These were my thoughts as I reflected on the anxiety and panic that I endured as I prepared for my standardized tests. I am among the millions of Americans who feel that the standardized tests are not reliable tools for assessing a student’s competence. Instead of helping learners gain skills and acquire competencies, the tests simply impose pressure and inspire anxiety. If we are to join the few countries that have adopted effective and fair evaluation practices, we need to move away from standardized tests which have proven to be as ineffective as they are harmful.
The memories of my days in high school are still fresh. “Do not forget that you have an exam tomorrow. Turn off that television and go to bed.” It was my mother. I know that she only meant to remind me to prepare myself for the exam. However, I cannot help but blame her for the anxiety that I suffered whenever an exam approached. The exam was scheduled for 2pm. Given this fact, one would expect that I would be relaxed. This was not the case. As 2pm approached, my anxiety struck. “What if I am unable to remember what I learnt? This could be the end of me. Mother says that there is no future without college education.” I think that while they may be helpful in challenging students to stay committed to their studies, standardized tests punish sufferers of anxiety. I believe that I speak for thousands of students who cope poorly with high pressure situations. Standardized tests make me anxious. The same happens when I have an interview. I also become anxious when mother seems upset. “Could it be that Mrs. Johnson called and told her that I failed my English test?” These concerns only compound my anxiety. Whereas it is cowardly and immature to blame standardized testing for my anxiety, I feel that the tests that I have taken have left me with doubts about my abilities and competence.
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I had hoped that the sight of my friends would place me at ease. “Hey you! I hope that you have prepared for this exam. Mrs. Johnson says that she will not offer retakes to those who fail.” This was Mandy. She is among the few students who found standardized tests to be exciting. I knew that this was because the tests offered her the opportunity to demonstrate her competitive spirt. “Really? I cannot get a break from this test nonsense.” Wherever I went, there were reminders of the tests and their implications. Failing these tests mean that you have no future. My mother said it. Mrs. Johnson would constantly remind us. There was a poster that screamed that we must prepare for those exams. I still do not understand our obsession with these exams. Schools are supposed to be platforms for learning. Instead, they have become dungeons where anxiety rules. They mete out punishment on those who snap when exposed to too much pressure. I think that this is unfair and unacceptable. I did not fail because I am stupid. I failed because the system does not accommodate those like me with propensity for anxiety.
Despite the damage that they cause, standardized tests remain an integral element of student evaluation in American schools. I am testament to the fact that these tests do not fairly assess the abilities of students. I am confident in my belief that I am smart and competent. However, my test scores tell a different story. There is indeed a need for our country to rethink its approach to student evaluation. We must abandon standardized testing if we are to prepare students for the challenges of college and life.
