As the role of standardized testing in education continues to be scrutinized, a leading expert in educational measurement, Dr. Victor Eyo Essien, has explained how test speededness the pressure to complete a test within a set time significantly affects students’ performance in multiple-choice Mathematics exams.
In a study conducted in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria, Essien’s found that students performed better when they had sufficient time to answer test questions, highlighting concerns over the fairness of timed assessments. “Students often struggle not because they lack the knowledge but because they are unable to process and respond to questions quickly enough under time constraints,” he explained.
The study, which employed a quasi-experimental design, assessed 176 senior secondary school students 83 males and 93 females using a Mathematics Assessment Test (MAT) consisting of 60 questions, alongside a 25-question Reasoning Ability Test. The reliability coefficients of the instruments were 0.84 and 0.83, respectively, ensuring consistency of the results.
According to Essien, the findings revealed a significant effect of test speededness on students’ performance in Mathematics multiple-choice tests. However, the study found no significant impact of gender on performance, suggesting that both male and female students were equally affected by the time constraints.
“One of the most surprising findings was that reasoning ability did not significantly impact students’ performance,” He noted. “This suggests that even highly capable students may struggle under strict time limits, reinforcing the argument that speeded tests may not be the best measure of true academic ability.”
The study further analyzed interaction effects and found that while test speededness and reasoning ability together influenced performance, there were no significant interactions between test speededness and gender, gender and reasoning ability, or all three variables combined. This indicates that the main factor affecting students’ performance was the time pressure itself.
He emphasized the importance of reviewing testing policies to ensure fairness. “Examination bodies should provide orientation for invigilators to allow students to fully utilize the time allotted in their question papers,” he advised. “Additionally, tests should be carefully piloted to ensure the number of questions is reasonable for the time given.”
The findings also suggest the need for greater consideration of extraneous variables in test design. He recommended that test developers control factors such as question complexity, clarity, and layout to minimize unintended disadvantages for students.
Education experts have long debated whether standardized tests fairly measure students’ knowledge or simply their ability to handle time pressure. This study adds to the growing body of research questioning whether speeded tests accurately reflect students’ true potential.
With his extensive background in educational research and measurement, Dr. Essien’s insights are expected to influence policymakers and educators in Nigeria and beyond. He earns graduate degrees in Research, Measurement, and Statistics from the University of Calabar, Calabar.
He is a member of the National Council on Measurement in Education and has expertise in data analysis tools such as R, Python, and Tableau. His research focuses on improving assessment methods to ensure fair and accurate evaluations of student performance.
As education systems evolve, his study serves as a critical reminder that effective assessment should measure understanding rather than speed, ensuring that all students regardless of their test-taking pace have a fair chance to succeed.
