Test Re-takes

In the vast majority of cases, I'm against test re-takes--for the reasons outlined in my school math department's document on why we don't give re-takes in lower level math classes:

What does a grade represent? It’s a difficult question. Some might say that a grade represents student achievement, how much a student has learned in relation to the course content standards—but that’s not exactly accurate. If it were, a student’s grade would be his/her grade on the final exam. So, in reality, a grade is sort of a weighted average of how much a student has learned in relation to the course content standards as well as how well they were able to “stay caught up” in that learning—periodic test and quiz grades, for example. Some say that if a student didn’t know the material last week, but knows it this week, the student’s grade should reflect that. Again, the logical conclusion of that line of thinking is that a semester grade should reflect what a student knows at the end of the semester—it should be the final exam grade.


1. We found test retakes to be detrimental to student learning, as well as an inefficient use of time. Students did not properly prepare for tests and an increase in re-takes became the norm. Students that were both able and willing would come in after or before school and take a retest; those that were unable to were unable to change their grades. This practice promotes inequity (or a similar experience for students, as described by WASC) in the math program.

2. Retakes can artificially inflate a student’s grade but don’t reflect any improvement in student achievement. Students whose grades rely on retakes haven’t truly mastered the material, their grade doesn’t truly reflect the information the grade is designed to convey, and the new inflated grade gives both student and parent a false sense of the student’s math abilities.

3. In response to the drive towards equity, towards interventions (and test retakes count as interventions) during the school day, we have opted to give bonus problems on each test. These bonus problems are key standards, or frequently-missed standards, from the previous chapter’s test—thus, a student who didn’t know the material when the last chapter test was given can, if they know the material now, demonstrate knowledge of that material and earn an extra 10% on the current test. As most teachers capped retest grades at 10% higher than the original test score anyway, this system has several advantages:

a. It doesn’t require additional work, for teachers or for students, outside of the school day. It allows slower students to demonstrate mastery, and earn a higher grade after demonstrating that mastery, during the school day.
b. It requires students to put forth extra effort to learn the material, and it gives them plenty of time (a chapter usually takes a few weeks to cover) to actually master the material before the next chapter test.
c. It eliminates the effect of not being able to ascertain from a student’s grade what the student’s capabilities are. Is the student truly prepared for follow-on math classes, or not?
d. Unforeseen pitfalls of students having re-takes include limiting opportunities to build authentic, academic executive functioning skills. As a result, some students who receive re-take accommodations may be deprived of instructional opportunities to build test taking and study-skills. Teachers, parents, students, and school administrators need to focus on teaching and learning study skills prior to testing as a starting ground. Post-secondary transitions can improve from fading off those accommodations that limit a student’s ability to test according to typical higher-education expectations. (Basically – re-takes eliminate the behavioral parameters that lead to authentic study skills improvement.)

Thus, while retakes, in our minds, are both inefficient and not academically defensible, our own system has the advantages of retakes without the pitfalls.

4. We are not noticing more students failing math classes now that we have eliminated retakes. Students know in advance when tests are given, they are given reviews and even practice tests, and are prepared by their teachers to demonstrate their grasp of the material. Students have had multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge (homework, quizzes, and then a test)—a test is not truly a “one time” shot at demonstrating knowledge and mastery of material.

As they say on social media, "change my mind."