ABSTRACT
The introduction of standardized testing as a tool for educational reform and a measure of student, teacher and school success is a great source of contention among students, parents, educators, politicians and policy makers alike. The function of standardized tests is to monitor and evaluate a country's educational system. In many countries the tests are used to assess students, teachers and schools. However, substantial differences exist in the purpose, design, implementation and use of such tests. Also, recent educational reforms around the world indicate a greater reliance on the use standardized tests than previously. Standardized tests can be classified as 'high-stakes testing' or 'low-stakes testing'. Due to the underlying philosophy of educational equality, streaming of students and competitive high-stakes testing are not a feature of the Finnish education system. In some systems, teachers are held accountable for student performance and find their professional performance being evaluated on the basis of test results.
