The bias problem with standardized test

For many, spring means longer days, warmer weather, and a return to the great outdoors. For some, spring means one last push to wrap up school, including studying and sitting for final examinations or other standardized tests.

Standardized tests have become firmly established in the U.S. over the past 100 years or so and have brought about an entire industry devoted to ensuring tests are “psychometrically sound,” which means the test should be valid, reliable and fair. And standardized tests can still be a concern, even after you leave school.  

Numerous states employ generally accepted exams to test the basic competence of applicants for licensure as nurses, physicians, cosmetologists, engineers, psychologists, morticians, social workers and lawyers. The use of common tests across multiple states helps ensure uniformity in evaluating competence in the profession and facilitates licensure portability across states.