What is the purpose of a test?

Day 73

As a student, I have spend many hours memorizing for a test or a quiz that was due in class for the next day. Sometimes I ask myself what is the percentage of the information I remember that I have spend hours to memorize. The truth is the materials that I had memorized without understanding during my college days just to accomplish a high grade, I don’t remember much. The materials that I understood and had the ability to implement my learning in my daily life, I remember very well. All the information was learned to get good grades in a test.

So here is my question: What is the purpose of a test?

The theoretical answer about testing would be to analyze the understanding of the information and the ability to ensure applicability. Does this really happen in real life scenarios? How much of applicability is enforced in the testing today? Is the ability of understanding measure by the ability of memorization? Why are students spending plenty amounts of time in memorizing the education materials? How old is the testing and the grading structure?

When was the last time the method of testing established and changed? Why are we focusing on learning elements that we will forget in future because of the lack of applicability? How can we improve the methods of testing to ensure we keep the core standards of true testing? The purpose of education and testing should be for the development of the student and not asserted pressure in memorization.

“The insight of the testing should be enhance my understanding and not pressurize my memorization skills”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

1. Picture: http://www.fau.edu/testing/images/j0341513_1_.jpg