Test scores are the only way to judge the competency of a student

Test scores are the only way to judge the competency of a student
Write a full argumentative essay
Doing tests has always been a common method to evaluate students’ level of
education. As a result, many students spend most of their time studying courses and
doing exercises in order to perform better in exams. However, as far as I am
concerned, test scores are not and should not be the only standard of evaluation of a
student’s competency for two main reasons.
Firstly, test scores only stand for a small part of one’s capability. To be more specific, a
student who has a great performance on a test is a pretty good signal to do well in a
job or further education, but that does not mean other students who do not have good
results have lower competency. For example, Jon Snow, one of the most successful TV
journalists in the UK, didn't do so well at school. Moreover, students’ test scores can be
affected negatively by different factors such as having a headache, stomachache, or
mental problems like worries, stress, or depression.
Secondly, by letting test scores be the only way of evaluation in education, we are
denying students’ efforts in other aspects. A student who does not perform well in
exams can still be successful by developing their social skills, physical skills, or any
special skills that their jobs preferred. For instance, successful voice-over artists who
lend their talents to commercials, radio, podcasts, or any medium that needs
professional narration can earn six-figure salaries without any degrees required.
On the other hand, many people argue that scores have always been the best way of
evaluating many different aspects and it does not bring any drawbacks. However,
taking Vietnam’s education, for example, many students, parents, and also teachers
have an obsession with test scores. Consequently, they will do everything even
cheating or paying money to have better results in exams. In the long term, it has
become a barrier to the development of Vietnam’s education.
In conclusion, I believe that test scores are not and should not be the only way to
judge a student’s competency because of the reasons mentioned above. That’s why
many high-quality education from all around the world has been developing various
methods of teaching and grading their students.