Achievement tests to graduate from high school can encourage students to focus on academics throughout high school. Many high school students may get distracted from academics by entertainment and peer pressure. High school graduation tests provide a strong incentive to study, heighten the priority of education and prevent students from getting sidetracked.
The primary goal for educators is to encourage lifelong learning to create a robust society and educated workforce. High school graduation achievement tests, however, challenge this goal by enforcing a strong external motivation that overshadows the inner enjoyment of learning. Students may associate learning with negativity and avoid divulging deeper into the lessons outside of school. Instead of genuine interest in the lessons, students will just memorize terms without analyzing or retaining the meaning of the concepts.
Allowing one test to determine such a significant outcome in high school can prepare students for the demands of life after high school. In college and the workforce, one assignment, test or project can have a large effect on your professional advancement. It can also teach students delayed gratification. Students learn to sacrifice short-term entertainment to study and use time management to prepare for events in the future.
Graduation research papers and senior projects enable students to showcase the critical thinking skills they have developed during high school. But high school graduation achievement tests allow some students who may not take classes seriously to graduate without truly absorbing the knowledge. Some students are skilled test takers who wait until the last minute to study and then forget the facts afterward. Other students may have worked hard throughout the years but feel discouraged if they fail the test. Those students have a higher chance of developing the mind-set that long-term effort to succeed could be a waste of time.
The scores students earn on the high school graduation achievement test permit them to obtain an assessment on their grasp of basic skills. If the students do not perform well, the test reveals the concepts and subjects that they need to practice on. Students can also assess if they need better methods of dealing with stress.
Students who do not have the resources, support or enriching environment to study for the high school achievement graduation tests or have struggled through school are further discouraged from graduation. Many schools with high school graduation exams experience increased dropout rates. The fear of the test may have the opposite of the intended reaction: to avoid any association with the test.