"Not a good test taker..."- I don't understand.

Vehicle
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:56:16 +0000

I can’t remember if I posted in this thread or not but I believe the flaw of standardize testing is not whether or not you can answer the problems in a reasonable amount of time but that the material being tested is irrelevant to the goal it hopes to accomplish. I fully understand the deception of “bad test takers” because multiple choice is based on whether you know the answers or not. There are some exceptions such as anxiety, learning disorders, and being physically ill but natural bad test taking abilities is far from ordinary.

What makes me upset about this thread is the notion that standardized tests determine your intellect and ability to succeed in high education. What is the tests measuring? Your math and English proficiency. So in order to be an intelligent, smart, clever, and successful individual you must be able to answer a set of English comprehension and math problems? Who determined this status quo? I’m firmly against standardized testing because it is completely irrelevant to college admissions. Academic aptitude is not measured in a four hour testing period on two of the many subjects taught in school. The idea that a test can determine your abilities is beyond be because there is no standardized template for sorting out the good from the bad. Everyone will excel in something, why dismiss those that have vast knowledge in other areas of life? They are in no means less or more intelligent than those that fit the status quo.

Being under pressure is crucial to success in most careers. I don’t have sympathy for those that break under pressure since they should be trying harder to cope with that anxiety. I had anxiety issues in high school but I’ve tried my best to suppress them and have found ways to carry out tasks without having negative repercussions due to intense anxiety. I hate when people say it’s okay to take your time. Slow people never really benefit anything.