One of the greatest problems in the educational systems of the U.S. is that the powers in the Federal and State departments seem to know so little about human beings.  Somehow, they think that learning can all be objectified and that people's abilities make no difference--"teachers must just adjust to the individual's learning style."

In the efforts of mass production of humans in the U.S. public schools in which "No child is left behind," an objective exam is "perfected" that will "accurately" measure students against the established "norms."  It is the job of the production supervisors, the teachers, to get students on the proper assembly lines so that they will "measure up" to specifications.

In reality, this testing is utilitarian and like the philosophy it follows, it is a failure.  Maybe the superintendents of Education should read Dickens's Bleak House, although they may require the abridged edition.

Now, if India is trying to imitate the U.S. as so many countries foolishly do in other areas, there are bumps in the road ahead!

The best way to make an accurate assessment of a student's progress and learning over time is probably not a standardized test; instead, it is likely to be a combination of things. Unfortunately, portfolio-type assessments are time-consuming, as is creating them within a system better suited to standardized tests. Though they are not the best form of testing and assessment, standardized examinations are not likely to be replaced by anything better because of the time and other resources it would take to do so.

As a teacher I spend more and more of my time teaching the specific skills of our state's NCLB test than I would like.  There is nothing wrong with the skills, but there is more to English instruction at the high school level than editing exercises and being able to summarize the main point. I am glad to have the data we get back from these exams, but I do question the value of this current trend.  One test on one day is not an accurate measure of achievement.

To answer this you would need to refer to the nature of exams and the large number of dissenting voices that there are in education who argue that exams are not actually a fair assessment method and do not give an accurate idea of intelligence. You can also argue that teachers often are forced to teach to prepare children for the exams and are therefore not able to give them a wider appreciation of education in its broadest sense.