The test is highly contested, mainly by takers of the test. For high schoolers the test may be troublesome as a high school senior who is unable to pass the test may not be allowed to graduate. This leads many to despise the test as they feel it discriminates against them and unfairly determines whether or not they should graduate. Many seniors do not have to take the test if they have passed it their junior year. Home schoolers and those attending private schools are exempted from taking the TAKS test.

Another controversy is the Mathematics section of the test. This section of the test takes in forms of Algebra I, Geometry, and minimal uses of basic skills, such as graphs, charts, and grids. The controversy comes in with the fact that many students who take higher levels of mathematics seem to fail this test, as it does not test their higher leveled skills, and instead, it tests skills that they are not prepared to study.

How many students truly "pass" the TAKS?

The TAKS test has also been criticized for its lax grading standards. All portions of the exam except for the written essay are submitted to test-taking students in the simplistic, heavily contested format used for almost all standardized testing: a question followed by four multiple choice answers (mentioned above in "Scoring"). The percentage that represents passing varies by subject area and is raised every year.

Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Information: Inside
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