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No one likes tests and examinations. Even there are some people that are phobia to tests
and tend to have too much stress when the test is just around the corner. Although test scores are
often to be seen as a good indication of students¶ academic performance, I still totally do not see
it as a good indication for one¶s academic achievement.

In 2002, the University of California faculty crafted what they may be the first
comprehensive policy adapted by any major United States university on the selection and use of
admission tests. The policy concluded that ³achievement-oriented tests are both useful to the
university in identifying high-achieving students and philosophically preferable to tests that
purport to measure aptitude´ (University of California, 2002). It seems like the administrators of
the University of California was agree that test scores are a good method in evaluate the
students¶ academic achievement. However, I totally disagree with what they think. Students
should be judged not simply on the test scores they have earned, but on their ability to learn since
test scores are not a true presentation of what the student knows, but rather how well the student
can take a test. I think everyone will agree that we need certain writing skills when we are doing
the test. There are just some moments that we simply don¶t know how to write the answer in a
proper way but in fact we know the correct answer during the test.

By the way, people also like the argument that, test scores should be the best indicator
that we can ever have because it is measureable and not too abstract at the same time. How we
can evaluate a student¶s academic performance either than test scores? Is there any better method
to evaluate how well is the student¶s understandings? In November 2009, the Tennessee
Education Association (TEA) has applauded the state of Tennessee for implementing more
rigorous curriculum, assessment standards and graduation requirements, resulting in an
adjustment to the 2009 Report Card. TEA President Earl Wiman said, ³We believe that student
success is much more that a test score. Since test scores provide an incomplete picture of student
learning, schools should not be judged on test scores alone.´ I also believe that actually test
scores can only measure what a person is capable of knowing or doing on the particular day that
the test is given while there are many factors that can affect or influence how the student will
perform on that given day. He or she may just involve in an argument with the parents before the
test or feeling sick on the day of the test. It is very unfair if we simply say that they are low-
achievers without considering the problems that they may actually faced on the day of the test.

According to the Association for Childhood Education International, ³Implications of

failure in the younger years can be devastating.´ The child will believe that they are a failure
when they are told that they need to repeat the last grade or didn¶t pass. This feeling can stay
with the child throughout their education and hinder academic and social growth. In other words,
a student that gained low scores in the tests may be seen as a useless student although he or she
actually is an intelligent person. Consequently, those students who have been labeled, and they
actually can gain better achievement in academic, will eventually deny their abilities in learning
and it will give a bad impact in their studies.

To sum up, I stand firmly on my part that test scores is not a good indication of students¶
academic achievement. One that gained high scores only proved that he or she had did well in
the test, but it do not indicate how much he or she had learned. Education is not about how well
one can answer the questions in a test, but it is the knowledge and understanding that a student
possesses.

(664 words)

Sentences problem

I still totally do not see