Standardized tests are exams that are supposed to measure a child's academic knowledge, but they have long been the subject of controversial discussion. Although it is one method to see how a child behaves, is it the best method? Standardized testing can be biased or unfair, inhibit the creativity and flexibility of both teachers and children, impact school funding, cause untested subjects to be eliminated from the curriculum, and cause anxiety for children and teachers. Standardized tests can also be biased or unfair because the questions on these tests require the understanding and skills that children from advantaged families typically have (Kohn, A, 2000). Children living in poorer communities are at a disadvantage because they may not have access to the tools available in more affluent areas. Their test scores tend to be lower; thus failing to continue higher education. The SAT test has been accused of being ethnically biased. An example of this is in the English portion of the test. If a question asks which of the following sentences is correct English, “The man got himself a dog” versus “The man got himself a dog,” a child living in a poorer area might choose the second sentence because it could be the way other people around him talk (Masserli, J, 2003). Standardized tests can also be biased toward minority children. Many times Mexican children will be faced with words that are totally foreign to them; as a result, they do not perform as well on these standardized tests. It is impossible to assess their knowledge of a topic if they do not understand the questions asked. Even a child's ability to move on to the next grade or be accepted into a good college should... halfway through the test... effective and practical.Works CitedFair Test. (December 17, 2007). The dangerous consequences of high-stakes standardized testing. Fair Test, National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Retrieved from http://fairtest.org/dangerous-consequences-highstakes-standardized-tes.Kohn, A. (September 27, 2000). Standardized testing and its victims. Education Week. Retrieved from http://alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/staiv.htm.Meikle, S. (2014). Embracing our creativity. Independent School, 73(2), 64. Messerli, J. (2 October 2003). Should primary and secondary school students be required to complete a standardized minimum skills test? Balanced Politics.org. Retrieved from http://balancedpolitics.org/school_testing.htmPaul, A. (2013). Relax, it's just a test. Time, 181(15), 42-45. Slon, S. (2013). Teaching to the test gets an “F.” Saturday evening post, 285(5), 47-49.