I have always been a fast reader and I just loved it when we took some time out from regular English class in 7th and 8th grade to do those. Made me look a lot smarter than I am.
I also loved standardized tests because I could in some ways game them. I am a fast reader, and if (as often happened) the first page of the test had the first two or three questions, while the teacher was reading through the instructions each and every time, I could look at those questions, determine the answer, and then when we were given the go-ahead to start, mark the answers and go straight to the next page.
One time I finished a test you weren't supposed to be able to finish (much to the astonishment of the proctor) and got about halfway through double checking my answers before time was up.
While I like to think I'm pretty smart, I always over-scored on those kinds of tests, especially compared to someone who knew as much or more than I did but simply wasn't as fast as I was.
Timed tests unfairly penalize some people and with equal unfairness reward others.
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