High-stakes testing

Students: A high-stakes test may determine if a student advances to the next grade, receives a scholarship or whether he or she receives a diploma.

Teachers: Students' test results may be used to evaluate teachers' performance, including teacher pay, teacher employment, etc.

Schools and Universities: Test results may have consequences for schools including penalties, changes to school management or even closure. There may even be an effect on a school's reputation and accreditation.

• High-stakes tests may encourage the teachers to teach topics that are most likely to be asked in the test, thus neglecting other topics. This can be overcome by making the tests well rounded in nature instead of them focussing heavily on a few topics.
  
  
• The real objective of imparting knowledge to the students might be lost in the overlooked in an effort to maximize their test scores. To overcome this, there should be greater emphasis on other forms of testing such as quizzes.
  
  
• There might be a rise in the use of unfair means during the tests, sometimes coordinated by teachers administrators who might be looking to escape the punishments that result from poor test performance. Thus, the performance of teachers and administrators should be judged on a number of factors and not just the test scores.
  
  
• Because of strong pressure on teacher and administrators to improve test results, students from low income households may be more vulnerable to receiving instructions only to do well during the test without focussing on their overall development. Therefore, evaluations should be based on the holistic development of a student.

The arrival of on-screen and online high-stakes tests has been predicted for many years. There are, however, several challenges with moving high-stakes testing to a remote setting. 

Academic dishonesty

One of the most challenging aspects of digital exams, especially high-stakes tests due to their importance, is ensuring that the students are not using any other resources (such as internet, books, notes, chat, etc) than determined by the conditions of the exam to assist them. Using Digiexam, the success rate of cheating is dramatically reduced due to features such as required ID verification, in-person and automated proctoring with behavioral trackers and device lockdown functionalities.

Technology requirements

Depending on the technology required for the exam, it can put students at a disadvantage. Studies have shown that students are more likely to experience problems with an exam if it’s written online. However, we wholeheartedly believe we’ve been able to create an intuitive platform, for both students and teachers, that can safely and reliably power the complete examination lifecycle. And with each generation becoming more and more technologically skilled, this challenge will soon be a thing of the past. In the end, the future is digital, no doubt about it. We believe moving education to a remote setting is a necessity to not hinder societal and educational growth.

Internet connectivity

The reliability of internet connectivity is at times a problem in rural and remote areas. As such, online high-stakes testing can prove a huge challenge for a smooth and reliable examination process. However, in comparison to a browser-based exam environment, the Digiexam application offers offline compatibility. Our platform can be trusted regardless of internet connection.

• High-stakes tests ensure accountability for teachers. Teachers are motivated to work harder because they are aware that their performance will be evaluated by the performance of their students.
  
  
• Testing ensures that students are working towards an achievable goal and are motivated to work harder. Testing encourages students to continuously improve themselves to achieve their goals.
  
  
•  The performance of a student during these tests helps the teachers to evaluate the areas of improvement and the students can be helped accordingly. A student will thus be aware of their strengths and weaknesses.
  
  
• The test scores provide parents, employers and colleges an understanding of the skills acquired and whether the learning objectives are being met. Thus there is a common yardstick by which the students can be evaluated.
  
  
• In conclusion, although there are many challenges that come with high-stakes testing, they can be overcome with certain modifications in our current testing methodologies. The high-stakes tests thus have a positive impact on student achievement, suggesting positive results in the long run.