Should Standardized Tests Be Banned

Should standardized tests be banned
Since 2002, when the passage of NCLB is established, there has been a significant increase of the amount of students taking standardized tests. More and more students’ lives are becoming influenced by standardized testing, as a societal push for educational accountability has led to a dramatic increase in the use of these assessments across districts and nations (Guskey 2013) .Their value is much debated by educators, academics, and politicians, but what is clear is that their use seems to be increasing rather than decreasing.  Experiencing standardized tests as students can provide a useful perspective, however, it is important that faculty and students have a general understanding of the history of standardized test, as well as a basic overview of the how these assessments are built. This paper will explore the history of standardized testing, recent developments within standardized testing, creation of test questions, and applicability.

History of standard test:
Testing can be found in all cultures. Evaluating the understanding of someone learning a new skill is common for   all societies. Standardized testing as we know it today began in earnest in China as a form of aptitude testing, trying to ascertain who would be best at a particular job. Fletcher (2009) states that, “The earliest record of standardized testing comes from China, where hopefuls for government jobs had to fill out examinations testing their knowledge of Confucian philosophy and poetry.” These exams started in about 100 CE but were firmly established during the Sui Dynasty in 605 CE. They attempted to predict aptitude by discerning the best candidates for the Chinese civil service. The test ended the monopoly of hereditary and gave the low-class people chances to get rid of poor. Therefore, standardized tests eliminated the discrimination on people's background, family, income, so that it can create fairness and objectiveness. Although the Imperial...