As a sophomore student, I think I speak for everyone when I say: testing is hell. During these last few weeks of 2015-2016 school year, we are bombarded with pointless and redundant projects, essays, EOCTs, SLOs, and final exams. All these standardized tests are mandated for primarily one goal: to measure progress; whether it’s the state’s, the teacher’s, or the student’s progress, these multiple inconveniences are all for one purpose.

According to gadoe.org, the EOCTs are supposed to constitute a final exam. So why do we spend the extra time and stress of an additional test? The finals week is just unnecessary and ultimately meaningless, because students have already exhausted our energy on the exact same test with the exact same material. Of course, some teachers change the finals from cumulative to just the last unit; however, the principle of having a final test when there is already a “final test” is superfluous, and I think all students AND teachers can agree.

In addition to EOCT’s, SLOs are used to measure progress, just in a slightly different way. SLOs, Student Learning Objectives, measure the teacher’s progress as an instructor from the beginning of the year to the end. Although the EOCT’s don’t measure progress comparatively, the tests are still comprised of identical information and therefore prove excessive and not beneficial. On gadoe.org, they state the tested subjects for SLOs include all of which are tested for EOCTs. There are 2 tests (sometimes 3 if you don’t exempt the final), that we are forced to take; some teachers even count the results as a grade in the course grade book to prevent “Christmas treeing” it. In my opinion, the constant testing throughout the last month of school IS hell and CAN BE prevented completely. Doing away with the inessential tests can save students an abundant amount of sleep hours, stress, and tears… so why don’t we?