Introduction
Learning is usually aimed at ensuring that students are imparted with the required knowledge and skills that will help them in future. All learning institutions in the world have mechanisms used to measure the level of understanding of their students and can grade them as intelligent, average or poor. The criteria are used to form the basis of ranking and analysing the intellectual developments of students. This paper seeks to establish the truth that these tests used for assessing students and the scores they achieve are inaccurate and thus subject to errors.
Importance of recognising there is no Perfect Test or Score
A perfect test identifies and examines all the areas of study that a student has learnt from his teachers, personal studies and class assignments. A perfect score is the overall result obtained from the tests done by students and shows the comprehension of students to the subjects taught by teachers. However, there is no perfect test or score due to various reasons that make the credibility of such tests and results invalid.
One of the most common reasons to refute the possibility of perfect tests and scores is the degree of understanding of students when learning. Different students have different levels and abilities of comprehension and maintaining what they have learnt in class. Some students learn very first and can not be compared to their mates and are thus considered first learners and intelligent (Kubiszyn & Gary, 2009). Students have different levels of interest in various subjects offered for study in schools and it is clear that the greater the interest of students in a given subject the higher their chances of having high scores. Teachers too have different qualifications, experiences and abilities to teach their specialised career subjects that determine their effectiveness in teaching. There are many cases of examination irregularities like cheating that students and teachers use to falsely get high grades.
For people to attain the most accurate assessment results they should ensure there are special guidelines to grade students according to their level of understanding and pace of learning. Students with a high ability to comprehend topics faster should not be graded the same as students with average and low grasping ability (Kubiszyn& Gary, 2009). The teachers should undergo efficient training to ensure they are equipped with the best teaching skills to handle their lessons effectively. There should be mechanisms to ensure that students are encouraged to develop great interest in what they are being taught. There also should be adequate measures to curb cases of cheating and other irregularities in examinations to ensure students get their genuine grades.
The timing of any test should be appropriate to the needs of students and the teachers in charge should always ensure students are examined only when they are ready to sit for the tests. There are issues of family and personal concern that usually determine the mental position of human beings and will destabilise the students’ ability to remember or understand the questions being asked.
Conclusion
Learning is a complex phenomenon that involves a slow and gradual process of acquiring knowledge at different stages of life. Students should not be assumed to be very intelligent or poor performers based on grades that they achieve in schools as this does not determine the abilities and potentials of the students in other activities.
Reference
Kubiszyn, T., & Gary, D. B. (2009). Educational Testing and Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.