The Downfall of Standardized Testing
Written by Niranun Puapattanakajorn | Edited by David Bangm Yam Pothikamjorn, Amy Jain | Designed by Chongkonkorn Vichitkamthorn (Sally), Yanisa Likhitapisit (Palm)
In the age of COVID-19, standardized testing in large test centers with students crammed into tight spaces has become a public health hazard. Things have had to change, but did they change for the better?
What is standardized testing?
Standardized tests are exams that are used to compare students by their scores. This is different from GPAs because different schools have differing levels of difficulty. In that sense, these tests “standardize” the metric used to compare the academic ability of students.
What are some examples of standardized tests?
Typically, the SATs, SAT Subject Tests, IELTS, ACT, TOEFL are some of the widely used tests you may have heard of. Some others might not be considered standardized tests, but they generally serve the same purpose: producing a set of scores that students can be judged on equally. This could include tests like IGCSEs, A-Levels, the IB program, AP exams and others.
What are the alternatives being used?
Programs like the IGCSEs, A-Levels and IB programs are using predicted grades and other kinds of evidence from schools to choose a grade for students. The SATs cancelled some of their test dates and as a result added more test dates more crammed together towards the end of this year.
Are the alternatives effective?
These alternatives, perhaps, seem fair on the surface, but they’re not. It’s not entirely clear to students what the standardized test creators have been using to judge the students, but it is very clear that many students aren’t getting the scores they deserve. Surely, it isn’t fair to give students scores based on the scores their seniors before them achieved (bad or good).
Seniors in the IB program actually haven’t been able to graduate and get their IB diploma due to their grades being dropped 5-10 points from what was predicted. Students in the A level program have had scores predicted as As dropped to Ds or even Fs.
In regards to the SATs, many students have had to cram all their testing dates close together, which could impact their scores due to insufficient studying time.
How could these systems impact students?
Results from standardized tests are scores that are particularly important for rising seniors and students who just recently graduated from high school. A huge reduction in scores in the IB program could prevent someone from graduating. A terrible difference from the expected grade in A levels could stop someone from fulfilling their conditional acceptance requirements. An unfortunate score in AS levels could even mess up the predicted grades of a student applying to college and cause them to be rejected from a college they would’ve gotten into otherwise.
What can you do if you’re affected by this?
Many schools are just as outraged as the students are about in regards to scoring. The best-case scenario is an appeal being granted, and the resulting grades for students are changed to what they should be. However, this isn’t guaranteed.
The best bet for many students is to call up the colleges that they applied to or are going to apply to and explain the situation at hand. An analysis reported by the Guardian showed that 40% of A level grades would be reduced from what was expected of the students. Surely, colleges will have to understand that.
In the meantime, sit tight, keep calm and don’t give up!
Article by the Guardian: