Testing, Testing, Testing . . . Virtually all college students will be evaluated with standardized tests at some point in their college careers. Although great pains are taken to make tests as unbiased and objective as possible, many factors, both personal and situational, can affect performance on tests. Cultural factors, familiarity with the testing process, and anxiety or nervousness are just a few of the factors that can skew test results. So perhaps the best way to view standardized tests is as just one of many possible indicators of a student’s level of knowledge—and of his or her potential to learn.

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