Standardized testing is any test that remains the same and is administered in the same way to all test takers. Standardized testing began in China as part of job applications. They were used most frequently in the early 1900s to determine an individual's intelligence. The Army used these tests to determine whether soldiers were officers. In 2000, Finland had the highest PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) scores in the world. Finland uses very few standardized tests compared to other countries. It has been shown that high performing countries (Finland, Japan, China) do not use standardized tests. The controversy over whether standardized tests were truly useful, and whether they show a true reflection of a student's abilities, became more well known after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Nowadays, standardized tests are used in everything the world. Schools use standardized tests to measure a student's academic performance. These tests are varied in different states and grades. Some school districts are starting to believe that these tests are not beneficial to their education, while other districts believe that the tests are beneficial to their learning. An advantage of standardized tests is that they do not narrow the curriculum, but instead focus on students' basic skills. master. Based on an article written by Education Policy Analysis Archives in 2005, sixty-one teachers in four Minnesota school districts believe that standardized tests emphasize critical thinking and remove the pressure on students to memorize everything. Standardized testing can still be helpful for students and parents. It provides students, parents and administrators with information on where lessons need improvement. Sin...... middle of document ...... November 2013."Subscriber area only." CultureGrams Online Database:. Np, nd Web. November 07, 2013. Only one main site with information sites for the essay DO NOT INCLUDE IN THE CITATION FOR THE ESSAY "Successful schools and unsuccessful schools through the eyes of children: the use of interviews, self-photography and selection of Images". Student resources in context. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 2010. Web. 7 November 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 tests?" The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Np, nd Web. Nov. 07, 2013."What's Wrong with Standardized Testing?" The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Np, nd Web. 08 November 2013.Zalan, Kira. “The Problem with Standardized Testing.” News from the United States. USNews & World Report, 5 July 2013. Web. 07 November. 2013.