Question

compose your essay addressing your opinion regarding the benefits and/or drawbacks to Standardized Testing.

Answer 1

Standardized Testing

Standardized tests are any form of tests which are given to a sample or a population to answer same questions. Test could consist of true or false, yes or no, rating scales types of questions. Standardized tests are of two types. Norm-referenced tests compare an individuals performance with a set of norms which are comprised of performance of others. Criterion-referenced tests compare the person's performance with a set of criteria and whoever meets the criterion scores higher.

Advantages

1. Standardized tests are reliable and objective and not subject to human bias and subjectivity which makes them more accurate reflection of person's achievement.
2. They are validated by research and administrator does not need to worry about whether the test is measuring what it claims to.
3. Administration in a large group of population becomes easier with standardized tests with manageable time limits.
4. Standardized tests are easier to administer and they are time bounded which make them a practical tool

Disadvantages

1. Tests results can be affected by extraneous factors like fatigue, lighting conditions etc which are not controlled by the tests.
2. All standardized tests are made keeping in consideration the able population but not the disabled. People with disabilities are unable to perform most of the standardized tests. some may take the tests with some accommodations however they become modifications to the particular trait the test is intend to measure.
3. standardized tests do not assess everyone's abilities. some who have a higher intellectual ability and tests taking ability can perform better than those who do not.
4. Standardized tests do not measure individual differences like particular strength which may not be assessed by the test and people rely on such tests for in-taking employees for jobs.
5. Standardized tests are costly which makes it limited to be used by professionals who cant afford it.
6. it is also time consuming in scoring the data of a sample. As it takes a lot of labor to score each protocol till the time a software is made for such tests.