“If my future was determined solely by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn’t be here.” I guarantee it. This quote from Michelle Obama illustrates the idea that standardized testing should not have such a big influence on education in the United States. However, the majority of people are under the impression that standardized tests are an accurate method of measuring a person's intellectual abilities. I believe that standardized testing has become a very critical part of the American education system; it hinders the growth of students and teachers instead of providing a tool that can accurately measure knowledge. Standardized testing in the United States has not always been standard practice. In the mid-1800s, Horace Mann, an education reformist, developed a test to administer to a group of students. Its goal was to determine how well students performed at their current level and whether they were capable of moving to a higher level of education, even if the student's success on the test had no negative repercussions. These tests were a necessity at this time because the idea of ​​public education was still being shaped and these tests were the only means by which student progress could be measured. In the 35 years since the first recorded exam in 1845, the tests became the determining factor whether students could be promoted to the next level. In the early 1930s, James B. Conant, president of Harvard University, decided to develop an admissions test as a reliable way to measure student performance without taking into consideration the applicant's identity or origin. According to Kevin Finneran, editor of Issues in Science & Technology, Conant believed that through the administration...... middle of paper...... occupying his mind with irrelevant things that do not have nothing to do with the task at hand (Vassilaki, 2006). Thus, their energy is wasted when it could be used for developing tasks or helping to improve their overall academic performance. Students with academic anxiety become self-absorbed and lead to their own academic demise. Test anxiety not only affects students' performance on a test, but Huberty (2009) states that test anxiety over time tends to contribute to more common underperformance. It describes the consequences of constant test anxiety, including lowered self-esteem, reduced effort, and loss of desire to complete school tasks. Students who experience academic anxiety are also at higher risk of developing depression and often feel deprived of confidence (Cunningham, 2008). Thus, academic anxiety can become extreme and have negative effects on students' well-being..