WHAT’S WRONG WITH

STANDARDIZED TESTS?
Multiple-choice & short-answer High-stakes
tests are poor measures of tests cause
curriculum to be
student achievement, narrowed to just
particularly of the ability to
understand and use complex
what is on the test.
material. Teachers feel pressed to boost scores,
even to cheat, and educational quality
often suffers.

Test scores are There ARE Tests do not

not reliable. BETTER WAYS to reflect current
An individual's score may vary
significantly from day to day
evaluate achievement knowledge
due to testing conditions or and ability: about learning.
the test-taker's mental or Good teacher observation, documentation There has been enormous
emotional state. progress in
of student work, and performance-
this area.
based assessment are most Tests are
Test-makers useful. mostly based
on outdated
can’t remove assumptions.
all bias.
Cultural assumptions
built into tests often
remain. Standardized tests are
NOT fair & helpful
Standardized tests are
not objective. Decisions on what to
evaluation tools.
They reward quick answers
include, how questions are worded, & do not measure deep
which answers are "correct,” and or creative thinking
the uses of results are all made by in any field.
subjective human beings.

Find out more at www.fairtest.org