What's Right about Standardized Tests?

What's good about standardized tests, and what are they for?

Standardized tests were designed to evaluate how well a student had learned the information being tested, to help the student learn by reinforcing what they he had learned, to see how students compare to each other, and to help a student see where he is lacking so that he can improve.

Because standardized tests have the same questions or the same types of questions for anyone who takes them, standardized tests offer educators, students, politicians, and test makers and administrators a chance to compare how well students are performing. Standardized tests offer a more meaningful comparison than tests made just by each teacher for their particular class would.

Standardized tests, besides being the same for everyone, are graded by a computer. Not only is this way of grading more accurate and less subjective than if the tests were made and graded solely by teachers, but it allows the scores on these tests to be shared with those who need the information at a relatively fast pace.

Standardized tests are scored by computers which are non-biased. Students are scored solely on whether or not they answered the question correctly, without taking in to account outside factors that a human may.

Tests are a reliable way of getting the kind of information educators need, because they are consistent and have a reasonable standard measure of error.

Supporters of standardized tests include parents and students as well as teachers.