Testing From Two Perspectives: (1)

¶ … testing from two perspectives: (1) as a test-taker and (2) as a test-Giver.

As a test taker, one argument for test-taking is that I am able to prove that I know the material if I have in fact studied for the exam. Tests can actually be an opportunity for me to raise my grade if I have slacked off on other assignments. Reviewing for tests is often when I learn the most, as well, because there is a clear set of questions that need to be answered. I know that tests can help the teachers assess my ability and let me know if there is a subject I need additional work on. Test taking can help the teacher assess both the class and the teacher himself! If everyone in the class fails a test, it is probably a sign that there is something wrong with the methods the teacher is using, and he can use this opportunity to try a new method. Tests can also be a positive thing because if I finish my test early, I get time to relax while the rest of the class finishes their tests.

There are negative aspects about tests as well. First, tests make me nervous. I find it difficult to concentrate properly during a test, and material I knew the night before seems to disappear from my head. Tests are sometimes impossible to prepare for unless the teacher tells us exactly what questions will be on the test ahead of time, and if I do know exactly what the questions will be, then I just memorize the questions and answers and I do not really learn anything. I do not think it is good when a student has worked hard all year, participated in class, done all of the homework, and then one bad grade on a big test can ruin the student's grade for the entire year. I also do not like when I do not have enough time to finish a test and I feel rushed, because then I do not answer questions properly or completely in an attempt to finish on time.

2) as a test-giver, there are many pros to test-taking. First and foremost, it allows me a means by which to assess the achievement of each student. If a student is falling behind in the material without bringing this to my attention, a test will reveal that and I will know what areas to focus on with the student. Tests allow for teachers to track students into ability groups so that they can study and learn at an appropriate pace, allowing slower students to take more time on material and allowing the more advanced students to not be held back by the others. Tests also are a means by which to ensure that I am doing my job properly as a teacher. Students need to learn and understand certain material, and tests ensure that students will study the material and then prove that they do know the material. Tests are a way to show school administrators and parents what material has been covered and how much of that has been learned by each student.

Unfortunately, there are cons to test-giving. One such problem is that a short test which does not take too much time to complete will only have a few questions, and each question will weigh heavily on the total grade. On a 10-question test, only 2 wrong answers will drop the student's grade to a 80%, which may not be an accurate measurement of how well he knows the material. Longer tests, however, that could more fairly sample the student's knowledge on a subject take a long time to complete, and students may have difficulty focusing on the test for that long of a time, or may be rushed to finish the test in the time allotted. Even the need to go to the bathroom during the test can have a negative effect as it will break the student's concentration and cut away at the time the student has to complete it. It is also very difficult to avoid bias in test-giving. Questions are inevitably biased somehow on multiple-choice tests especially. It is also difficult to make a test that tests the right thing. In a science test, how is it possible to create a test that does not negatively grade a student who has poor reading or comprehension skills, or even ADD, but an incredibly vast knowledge of science? Finally, students dread tests, and unhappy students make unhappy teachers.