We have all felt that overwhelming anxiety when receiving a test back, how crushing it feels to see an unfavorable score. Most of us have sat there, calculating how much this awful test score will affect our grade. We’ve considered our options, accepting the fatal score or retaking the test altogether.
Retakes are, of course, the favored option, but they’re not as appealing as they seem. Retakes offer a new chance, a fresh start on an unfavorable test score, but they’re not all that promising.
Retakes allow you to have a second opportunity on a test, sure, but at the cost of only earning up to an 80%. This policy has been in place for years. It seems like an annoying, yet common, part of academic life, but why is this the case? Does it have to stay like this?
Students should be able to receive up to 100% on retaken tests. It seems illogical that this even has to be argued. Students who have to retake tests aren’t given less questions on the retake tests, nor are they given easier questions. If they are taking a similar test, why shouldn’t they be allowed to receive a similar score?
Some argue that the reason this policy is in place is to hold students accountable, but I think there are other ways to do so. Many teachers have the policy in place that students cannot retake their test until all of their assignments from the chapter are turned in, and I think that this is a valid policy. Since we already have an accountability policy, there is no need for two.
Students can also feel anxiety on test days, leading to lower scores. Earning up to 100% on retaken tests instead of only up to an 80%, the current policy, can alleviate that stress.
Many teachers argue that it’s unfair to them, and to students who prepare and study, for students to be allowed to bomb the test on test day and retake it for a better score after studying. Personally, I think this argument is weak. Don’t teachers want their students to receive good scores on tests? If an extra day is what the student needs, shouldn’t they be able to have it? Life often gets in the way. Students are balancing a lot: sickness, extracurricular events, and much more.
Students should be able to receive 100% on retaken tests, not only up to an 80%. They are doing the same amount of work, sometimes even another assignment along with their retake. Their retaken test does not contain easier or less questions than the original test. Students also can experience stress and test anxiety, leading to lower test scores. Life often gets in the way, so sometimes students may need more time/preparation for tests. The policy of only being able to receive an 80% on retaken tests is illogical and should be removed.