What are the benefits of standardised tests?

There are a number of benefits to using standardised tests within schools or groups of schools:

• Identify areas where a pupil or group of pupils is strong or requires additional support; can be applied to improve teaching and learning.
• Provide a more reliable comparison of the test outcomes than non-standardised tests
• Provide quantifiable measures, such as Standard Age Scores (SAS) and indicative prediction of Key Stage 2 national test or GCSE performance
• Indicate how a pupil or groups of pupils have performed in relation to others nationally
• Use at regular intervals overtime, allowing progress to be tracked in an effective and objective way
• Used to measure the impact of interventions. For example, NGRT can be used to measure reading age before and after an intervention and thereby provide evidence of the impact of the intervention