Almost every student at BHS has, without a doubt, taken both a test digitally and on paper. In general, it is based on teachers’ preferences since there are no requirements as to what is necessary. But as bigger assessments such as AP exams and SAT’s start to change from completely handwritten to completely online, many start to question whether this switch is more beneficial or more harmful.
Digital testing
Pros
- Faster results
- More environmentally friendly
- Flexibility to take exams anywhere
Cons
- Susceptible to cheating
- Technological problems may occur
- Requires access to technology
Paper testing
Pros
- Familiarity
- Less fortunate schools have access to paper
- Technology not required
Cons
- Costly
- Prone to cheating
- Large amounts of work to collect data
Opinions at BHS
Since every teacher at Bethpage High School varies in using technological or handwritten tests, opinions also vary among the students who take the tests. Which exams do students at BHS prefer? One senior, Joy Kim, says, “I like paper testing better” because she “[needs] to be able to write stuff on the test and make annotations, and digital testing prevents that.” Another student, a junior, Katie O’Callaghan, agrees with Joy Kim. She feels that paper exams “[feel] more like a real test, and on the computer, it’s easier to get distracted.”
