Asset Tests should Be banned by Sunidhi

Argumentative Essay

When I first wrote Asset exams, I assumed it would help me with my performance in school. I started to write these exams since 3^rd grade – but it was only when I reached middle school that I realized what horrible things these exams can do. Hence, I strongly believe that exams such as Asset should not be compulsory. They create high test anxiety, although you may think it’s not a big deal-children cannot face such a feeling. Schools also give consequences for performing poorly in these exams. Lastly, children mugging-up answers to score well in these exams do not develop long-term thinking.

Many students across the globe experience test anxiety while writing an exam. And such anxiety differs from person to person – so while some of use just feel our heart beat a little, others can even end up becoming sick and also start to feel nauseas. This test anxiety happens during standard that as well. But is it really worth for students suffering from test anxiety to feel double the pain? Besides the anxiety created by standard tests, do they really have to go through another round of it? Although some of us don't feel so tense, what about the others? Many may think test anxiety is just a not-so-good feeling, but it’s much more than that. Recent studies have found out that highly-anxious students perform a minimum of 12% worse than their low-anxiety peers, or those who don’t feel anxious at all. And you must be wondering why students stress so much about these exams. Well, some schools have exceptions for those students who perform poorly.

A student writing Asset exams says “We are given consequences by our school if we don’t get good grades. But I personally think this is a good way to teach the student to do better so the school doesn’t get a bad name.” I, as a student who has taken Asset exams, think to give consequences for performing poorly is OK. I did support this student’s statement. But then I realized that schools already have consequences for not scoring well in their standard tests. So why do they have negative consequences for not scoring well in exams like Asset? And, of course, not many schools understand student’s feelings of anxiety and tense. They would take this as a reason as some excuse for not studying. And these children are left to face consequences while the rest of us sit back at home and watch the Asset top rankers get medals, certificates etc. on T.V and say “Wow, Asset really brings out a child’s true potential”. But we don’t understand is standard tests can bring out your ‘true potential’. So why Asset? It’s not of much use, it’s just another dreaded and feared exam.

“Exams are necessary for improving a child’s performance.” A majority of people support this point. And as a matter of fact, I do think exams are necessary for students. But I think Asset are necessary for students. One of the reason being many students think of it, with so many exams in a term, “just another exam”. But still afraid to face the consequences, they do not want to take it Asset lightly. So, instead of taking the long, hard route of studying, they take a short route and begin to mug-up answers. The side effects of mugging-up answers can be very harmful in a way to children not only attending school, but everyone else who chooses to take a shortcut. This is because it does not allow them to develop long-term thinking. This means when you mug-up answers, neither are you understanding what you repeat continuously nor does it stay with you for long. So you tend to forget them at some point- without knowing what the answer said in the first place.

I’ve heard many students say with a sigh “Although I don’t like Asset, it is a necessary evil”. But I strongly feel it should be changed to ‘unnecessary evil’. Asset is just another one of those exams that are dreaded by many students. The aim of which Asset looks upon is a good and beneficial goal. But the path which they take is not right and hence end up doing unfair things to students. They intend to improve a child’s performance but instead makes it worse.