Standardized tests are any test that remains the same and is administered the same way to all test takers. Standardized tests have started in China as part of job applications. They became more frequently used in the early 1900s to determine an individual's intelligence. The military used these tests to determine whether soldiers were officers. In 2000, Finland had the highest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores in the world. Finland uses very few standardized tests compared to other countries. It has been proven that high-performing countries (Finland, Japan, China) do not use standardized tests. The controversy over whether standardized tests were truly useful and whether they accurately reflected a student's abilities was best known after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Today, standardized tests are used in the whole world. Schools use standardized tests to measure a student's academic performance. These tests vary by state and level. Some school districts are beginning to believe that these tests are not beneficial to their education, while others believe that they are helpful to their learning. One of the advantages of standardized tests is that they do not restrict the curriculum, but rather focus on students' basic skills. master. Based on an article written by Education Policy Analysis Archives in 2005, sixty-one teachers from four Minnesota school districts believe that standardized testing emphasizes critical thinking and removes the pressure on students to memorize everything. Standardized tests can still be helpful to students and parents. It gives students, parents and administrators information on areas where improvements are needed in classrooms. Since... middle of document... November 2013. "Subscriber area only." CultureGrams online database:. Np, and Web. November 07, 2013.Just a main site with sites about information for the essay DO NOT INCLUDE IN THE ESSAY QUOTE “Successful or unsuccessful schools through the eyes of children: the use of interviews, self-photographs and selection of images. Student resources in context. Early childhood research and practice, 2010. Web. November 7, 2013. Takayama, Keita. “The “Finnish Boom” in Japanese Education.” JSTO.com. Keita Takayama, October 8, 2009. Web. November 7, 2013. “What's Wrong with Standardized Testing?” » The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Np, and Web. November 7, 2013. “What's wrong with standardized testing? » The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Np, and Web. November 8, 2013.Zalan, Kira. “The Problem with Standardized Testing.” American News. USNews & World Report, July 5, 2013. Web. November 7. 2013.