Because standardized tests are used in many countries, they are written in many languages. To ensure that nothing is lost in translation from one language to the next, each standardized test must be reviewed in each country before it is distributed to students. This helps eliminate ambiguity so the tests are as precise as possible. This is especially important in the reading comprehension and verbal sections of these tests, as mathematics is a relatively universal language.
Standardized tests consist of multiple choice questions for math, verbal and reading comprehension. One of the disadvantages of multiple choice tests is that students don't write essays to show their intelligence or grasp of the material, according to families.com. However, multiple-choice tests are easier to grade en masse by a computer and take away bias from the grading process
Because people from different backgrounds and cultures take the tests, questions must not contain questions or references that certain people may not know. Standardized tests should not have questions predominantly geared toward any one sex, such as reading comprehension questions about sports for boys or dolls for girls. This gives one group of students an unfair advantage over another. There will always be discrepancies, as every student is different and comes from a different background, but by minimizing this, the most accurate possible results can be discovered.