As we enter testing season, there’s so much to consider. In Tennessee, our students have mandatory testing each school year. The idea behind state testing is to “…assess true student understanding, not just basic memorization and test-taking skills. It is a way to assess what our students know and what we can do to help them succeed in the future” (TNReady). Because of the importance of these tests, there are many protocols that our students have to follow. Some protocols differ throughout different schools, but there are a few consistent requirements. 

Some consistent protocols include a silent testing room, no cell phones, no AirPods, and other general testing expectations. While these expectations are in place, some teachers don’t adhere to the guidelines. While one may argue that this is a bad thing, we should stop to consider that with fewer protocols and guidelines, there’s a generally less stressful environment. That being said, the testing protocols can also be very stressful for some students. Some students simply don’t perform as well on tests due to the stressful environment surrounding them. This could make the testing data inaccurate. 

So, let’s consider some of the protocols. One of these is no cell phones. This is completely understandable due to the chances of cheating. But when we consider AirPods, they don’t generally pose a threat of cheating. Most students enjoy listening to music. In fact, for some, music can help them focus better. This could end up being extremely beneficial to students. With better focus and attentiveness, they could do far better on tests.

While a silent room is also understandable because of the chance of cheating, there’s also the option of some sort of background noise. This would simply be to make the testing environment slightly more comfortable. A stark, bare, silent room is simply uncomfortable and can increase students’ stress levels.

In fact, a study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information concluded that “…music listening impacted the psychobiological stress system. Listening to music prior to a standardized stressor predominantly affected the autonomic nervous system (in terms of a faster recovery), and to a lesser degree the endocrine and psychological stress response. These findings may help better understanding the beneficial effects of music on the human body.” If the school system allowed students to listen to music during testing, this could benefit students by reducing stress, therefore allowing them to do better on these tests. Based on this information alone, school systems need to be allowing music more regularly.