However, the growing overreliance on testing over the past several decades deprives the nation of all the talent it needs and sometimes conflicts with the nation's ideals of fairness and equal opportunity. This report summarizes our findings on the problems of testing and offers recommendations for its restructuring. Current testing, predominantly multiple choice in format, is overrelied upon, lacks adequate public accountability, sometimes leads to unfairness in the allocation of opportunities, and too often undermines vital social policies. Tests may mislead as indicators of performance. Test scores are at best an estimate of someone's knowledge or ability, and can be affected by numerous outside factors.
Testing can result in unfairness.
Differences in performance on other indicators such as grades and ratings are generally much smaller than test score differences. Thus when test results alone are used in selection, misclassification falls disproportionately on minority groups. There is too much educational testing. Testing practices can undermine social policies. As teaching turns into test preparation, test results cease to reflect what examinees really know or can do.