Multiple Choice Saves Students Everywhere by Lucy

Multiple Choice Saves Students Everywhere by Lucy - June 2015 Scholarship Essay

Testing, in any form, is probably a bane of every student's existence, if not the bane. Thus, it’s quite an ordeal to choose an ideal form of assessment when assessment itself is less than ideal. Nevertheless, society necessitates that there be some sort of ranking system, be it newly modified SATs or AP scores. So, in context of this societal requirement and student preferences, “ideal” is defined as the lesser of all evils.

The lesser of evils is most obviously multiple choice. In fact, multiple choice tests practically embody all American values of democracy and choice, where we are confronted with four to five choices and feel as though we have to choose one. Of course, there is the choice of not choosing, but that might result in disastrous consequences. Nevertheless, a multiple choice test is like a blessing on earth. Imagine that your mind is blank from one night’s procrastination, gallon of coffee, and zero sleep. If teachers expect you to remember any answers from the top of your head, they are deluded. The multiple choice exam, on the other hand, takes this sleep deprivation into account and announces all of your answers up front. Even better, you know there has to be a correct answer.

Let’s be real. This is exactly like reality, where life choices need to be carefully spelled out in front otherwise citizens should face the ultimate doom of seeking their own solutions (and doing all the research to accompany that). No one has the time to research such choices, especially not when an institution has all of those options carefully ingrained in societal norms.

Not only do multiple choice exams embody reality which is the whole point of school (to prepare students for the adult world), but they also factor in probability and chance. Technically, there is a chance of getting a full score on a multiple choice exam without having studied at all. This chance may be slim, but it is still far greater than getting a hundred on an open ended exam in which you know nothing. The fact itself is quite reassuring and provides that often lauded instance of self confidence that others may get from performing a speech in front of many people. But instead, it is the confidence in your ability to get a hundred percent on an exam that naturally implies that you know your stuff. Isn’t that what test taking is all about? Demonstrating comprehensive knowledge on the topic? And don’t forget that multiple choice exams factor in elements of probability and luck, which are far too imperative in the real world.

So in many ways, guessing your way to a hundred is far more impressive than studying to a hundred. A student who can guess to that kind of aptitude is guaranteed to have the luck of a billionaire in the future, and he or she will have accurately reflective multiple choice exams to thank.

Multiple choice exams are incredibly time saving as well, for student and teacher. For the student, as stated before, procrastination is sufficient enough to faintly remember content in order to answer questions leaving weeks before that all nighter to spend time on many other school activities or alternatively, the extracurricular activity of surfing the web. Teachers’ lives are also greatly eased, as they need only slide a scantron into a machine to get a number grade, which is all society wants anyway. Furthermore, students have no need to waste many sheets of paper and pencil lead in order to write long responses to questions. One graphite-saving bubble and done. Talk about environmental.

Multiple choice reflects reality, boosts self confidence, saves time, and saves the world. But if assessment can be avoided all together, please by all means forego the multiple choice as well.