Education is an important concept in the life of a human being. The education system teaches us from a young age how to read, write and be able to carry out many daily activities. Without education, people would face obstacles to fully participating in society (Ackley). Education is something that once learned cannot be taken away. From primary school, children are taught different materials and activities to advance to the next school level. How a school teaches these materials depends on the state's education system. Education is often a subject of controversy due to its importance and the way the system is designed. One question that is often raised in the education system is whether standardized exams are a good way to test a student's knowledge and whether they should be administered in school to determine whether a child is advancing. Standardized exams are a topic that many people feel very strongly about. Some believe it is stressful and time consuming; others believe it can be useful. I believe that standardized exams should not be administered to students and should not be used to determine students' knowledge or advancement to the next grade level. This argument has several pros and cons. Parents and politicians say they prefer this form of testing because it shows them how much students are learning. On the other hand, educators and intellectual allies prefer to replace these tests with portfolios of each student's work, which would show his or her progress throughout the school year (Phelps). One reason I am against standardized tests is that these tests do not really test a child's knowledge; it is instead testing their ability to remember certain fac...... middle of paper...... 2011. 295-313. Print.ECampusTours. “Arguments for and Against Standardized Testing in College Admissions – ECampusTours.” 1300+ 360 Degree Virtual College Tours - Admissions & Financial Aid Tips - ECampusTours. 03 February 2009. Web. 01 May 2011. The most beautiful. "What's wrong with standardized tests? | FairTest." The National Center for Fair and Open Testing | FairTest. December 17, 2007. Web. May 1, 2011. .Phelps, Richard P. Kill the Messenger: The War on Standardized Testing. New Brunswick, NJ: Settlement, 2003. Print.Pollard, Jonathan. "Measure what matters least." Standardized tests: measuring what matters least. Prosperity World, Ltd, 2002. Web. 01 May 2011. Young, Katie. “What's so bad about standardized tests?” Michigan State University. Est. 1855. East Lansing, Michigan, United States. Network. 01 May 2011.