As the end of the school year draws near, students may be taking a lot of tests. Tests are designed to measure either ability or achievement. Ability tests, including I.Q. tests, try to measure a student's capacity to learn in school. People used to think a child's ability was fixed and could not change over time. Experts now believe these scores can and do change.
Achievement tests help measure what children have learned in each subject.
Most teacher-developed tests are achievement tests. Tests help teachers, parents, and students know more about what children have learned and what they need to work on. It is important to remember, however, that tests don't tell everything. Mark important test dates on the calendar. Try not to schedule anything for the night before the tests.