High-stakes testing

Failing has important disadvantages, such as being forced to take remedial classes until the test can be passed, not being allowed to drive a car, or difficulty finding employment.

The use and misuse of high-stakes tests is a controversial topic in public education, especially in the United States and U.K., where they have become especially popular in recent years, used not only to assess school-age students but in attempts to increase teacher accountability.

An American high school student might feel pressure to perform well on the SAT-I college aptitude exam.

However, SAT scores do not directly determine admission to any college or university, and there is no clear line drawn between those who pass and those who fail, so it is not formally considered a high-stakes test.

[6][7] On the other hand, because the SAT-I scores are given significant weight in the admissions process at some schools, many people believe that it has consequences for doing well or poorly, and it could therefore be considered a high-stakes test under the simpler, common definition.

For example, college students who wish to skip an introductory-level course are often given exams to see whether they have already mastered the material and can be passed to the next level.

The term is meant to imply that implementing such a system introduces uncertainty and potential losses for test takers,[citation needed] who must pass the exam to "win," instead of being able to obtain the goal through other means.

For professional certification and licensure examinations, the purpose of the test is to protect the general public from incompetent practitioners.

High-stakes tests, despite their extensive usage for determination of academic and non-academic proficiency, are subject to criticism for various reasons.