Exams ‘Do Not Help Children’s Learning’-UK MPs Score Lower Than The  Average 10-Year-Old

A simulated exam given at a Westminster event in the UK disproved the notion that highly qualified MPs would perform well on standardized tests administered to 10-year-old school students. An MP who took the year six SAT exam at the event hosted by More Than A Score, a campaign that promoted the elimination of pointless exams, actually performed worse than the country’s typical 10-year-olds.

According to the Guardian, only 44% of the “class” of lawmakers who took the test administered by Commons education select committee chair Robin Walker and other MPs achieved the expected standard score in math, while 50% achieved the standard in English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The Times reports that this year, 71% of 10 and 11-year-olds countrywide obtained the expected norm in math and 72% achieved the expected score in English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. This is a far cry from what pupils actually do.

This morning I did my Maths and Grammar SAT exams with @MoreThanScore under the same conditions that our Year 6 children experience – invigilated by the children themselves!
👩‍🎓📝#BSSI #MoreThanAScore pic.twitter.com/dvZX68SaQi

— Emma Lewell-Buck MP (@EmmaLewellBuck) December 6, 2022

When this test was last given in 2019, a higher number of students took it; 65% of them scored as expected. The More Than A Score event was held with the intention of making lawmakers aware that the rigorous tests “only judge schools but do not help children’s learning.” Even though the campaign may not have been able to persuade MPs to completely abolish the tests, it did force them to acknowledge the immense pressure these young children face.

The pressure in the room is palpable as MPs sit the #SATs exam in Westminster under the exact conditions Year 6’s experience #BSSI pic.twitter.com/j5u5yhlpm1

— More Than A Score (@MoreThanScore) December 6, 2022

According to the Guardian, Robin Walker, the new chair of the education select committee, acknowledged the need for reform.

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