I remember just last year being in eighth grade Physical Science and having a problem taking tests. As the year went on I noticed that my test grades weren’t where I thought they should be. While this kept happening, I would find that when I would study with my mom the night before I would teach her about what we were learning, and I understood it perfectly. But when test time came, my grades did not accurately represent my knowledge. After I thought it through, my mom and I came to the conclusion that I just wasn’t the best test taker and tests weren’t my way to prosper in that class. 

So the real question here is: Are tests the best way to accurately look at someone’s abilities and knowledge?

Personally, I am about fifty-fifty when it comes to this topic. I see what schools are trying to do when it comes to tests by it being, “valuable tools to help students learn.” But I also believe that by taking tests over and over again all students have to learn how to memorize facts. At the age students are, they need to be taught how to apply the topic.

Another factor that many students struggle with is the stress of how important these tests are, not knowing what they will have to know, having to stay still, and be quiet for long periods of time. Those are just some of the factors that would potentially pressure a student, and in the end reflect negatively on the grade. I, as well as many others, have experienced this and forget what we already know due to the eerie sound of scribbling pencils and disruptive coughs. You go from having great everyday grades in the class to your brain shutting down during the test under pressure and ultimately not getting a deserving grade. 

There are other ways to better show the knowledge and learning abilities that would be more beneficial and possibly less stressful.

Thankfully there is a bright side to all this: Teachers, schools, and counties can talk about alternatives to the normal test and essay that have been around for centuries. By thinking more creatively you can make assignments that are better equipped to show the kind of thinking and problem-solving skills a student has. Don’t worry–If tests and essays work best for you, take it! Students should have the ability to pick what works for them. By opening up the table to different ways to test students, they can also learn a crucial real world skill–decision making based on the problem at hand. This also helps the teacher to be able to estimate their students’ comprehension properly.

Ultimately by releasing tests that may not be the best for everyone the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Teachers can see their students’ accurate progress in the subject, and students can take initiative into their own hands and find how to best show their knowledge of the topics they sit in class all day learning about.

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