As we are nearing the end of the semester, many teachers are giving out their final assessments. In Mrs Qualls Honors Geometry, we are having a test on dilations, our unit five test. However, with the short amount of time that we have had to learn this material in, many of us feel unprepared for this test. Although it is an honors class and is supposed to move fast, it is not feasible to learn and take a test on material that we have learned in about 1 to 2 weeks for such an important grade.

What would keeping this test mean? For those with good grades or high marks, it might drop their grade tremendously. This is just not fair, as one test on a rushed unit should not ruin a semesters hard work. For those with poor grades are low marks, this may be another bad grade that puts them into an even worse place. Bad grades on top of bad grades is a hard place to get out of, and when testing on a unit that we have barely had time to learn, anyone, whether their grades are high or low, is sure to not perform as well.

Why else should we cancel (or even postpone) this test? On top of the poor grades that it will produce, it will also cause even more stress to the students and Mrs Qualls. The last few weeks of the semester are always stressful, as every class is having their final assessments. Since this unit was so rushed, many are not going to perform as well on it and therefore will have to retake. This is twice the amount of stress on both the students and Mrs Qualls, as it is two tests for us to take on a unit that we don’t understand, and twice as many tests for Mrs Qualls to grade before the deadline. On top of this, many students are retaking the previous tests. They are so focused on that test that it is difficult to quickly pick up material for a new test a few days later. It is so much information crammed in one week that it is nearly impossible to learn and perform well. If necessary, we could also spend a little more time with this unit and push the test back until after winter break. This would give us a lot more time to figure out what we are doing and reassess without the stress that the end of the semester is causing. Overall, getting rid of the test, or even postponing it, will help to make our grades and education better as a whole.