By Alexandra Kossioni and Antigoni Vassilopoulou

It is a fact that all students, during their school years are going to write many standardized tests. Some people believe that taking this kind of exam is a fair measure of student achievement whereas others are of the opinion that there could be better ways of evaluating the students. Thus, the question arises: what are the advantages and the disadvantages of these tests?

To begin with, many believe that standardized tests are fair for everyone. All pupils are being tested under the same circumstances that are not determined by their school. Another positive aspect of standardized tests is that the government and the schools are able to monitor whether the students have made any progress or not and modify the teaching method, so that it can be suitable for them.

On the other hand, there are also many disadvantages that need to be marked. It is a common held belief that due to these exams, students often have to deal with really difficult and overwhelming situations. There are multiple examples that can prove the above statement, nevertheless, in any case, anxiety and stress can easily be caused. As a result, students tend to be less efficient to their studies and to their daily routines in general.

In conclusion, we firmly belief that, although standardized tests are a very stressful experience for all students, it is the only fair way to evaluate the children performance each year.