We are in standardized test season, and all across the country, students are taking the Big Standardized Test by which they, their schools, and their teachers will be judged. How absurd are these tests? Meet Sara Holbrook, the writer who couldn't answer test questions about her own work.

Back in 2017, Holbrook wrote an essay for Huffington Post entitled, "I Can't Answer These Texas Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems." The writer had discovered that two of her poems were part of the Texas STAAR state assessment tests, and she was a bit startled to discover that she was unable to answer some of the questions.

One reason was simple inaccuracy. One question asked why the poet had inserted a stanza break in a particular spot-- and then didn't insert a stanza break in the testing materials. But there was a second issue. Holbrook is a performance poet, and she had inserted the break at the point where, in live readings, she pauses. That choice was not one of the choices available on the test.

In fact, much of Holbrook's issue with the questions was a sort of existential dilemma. Several questions asked, directly or indirectly, for the test taker to judge the author's intentions. The author knew some of her intentions, sort of remembered others, and had others that were layered and complex. But the manufacturers of the test--who had never asked her about any of this--provided only four choices that did not allow her to choose the answer that she knew to be correct.

Now, it's possible that Holbrook is such an angsty, tortured soul of a poet that she simply does not know her own mind as well as the test manufacturers. But Holbrook does not fit the stereotypical faux image of a poet as a fuzzy-headed artiste. She has held writing jobs in the real world, such as Director of Communications for legal giant Jones Dayand Public Information Officer for the public housing authority in Cleveland. She knows what it takes to succeed as a business writer, and she says, "the questions on these tests are not it." She works as an educator and consultant, bringing writing and performance skills into the classroom. Rather than conclude that she does not know her own work, they should instead conclude that the test designers write bad questions. Or as Holbrook herself puts it, "Anytime they ask questions about author intent, they have stepped off the pedagogical sidewalk and into muck."

I reached out to Holbrook recently because the same thing happened to her again. This time a poem of hers was included in a test prep package from Mentoring Minds, LP. The poem itself is called "Walking on the Boundaries of Change," from the book Walking on the Boundaries of Change, Boyds Mills Press, 1998. (Mentoring Minds LP is a Texas corporation, and the previous two poems included in the STAAR test are from the same book, so perhaps Holbrook has some Texas fans who are passing around one copy of her work.) The poem is printed here with the author's permission:

Walking on the Boundaries of Change

Day by day

a tightrope,

walking on the boundaries

of change.

One step --

firm, familiar,

the next step --

shaky, strange.

Some friends

will dare danger,

mock or push each step.

Some friends

knock your confidence.

Real friends

form a net.

It's a simple, sharp moment that captures an emotional picture in some simple images. It's hard to imagine dissecting this with test questions without beating some of the life out of it. Yet Mentoring Minds LD has come up with eight questions.

I cannot reproduce any of the eight questions accompanying the poem here, because the materials include a robust copyright notice that includes phrases such as "maximum extent of the law." But once again, the questions turn on the issue of word choice, central message, and which part of the poem does things "best," all of which hinge on the test taker's interpretation of the poet's intent. And all are multiple choice questions with four possible answers, the kind of test structure that, Holbrook says, causes "students to grow up believing the right interpretation of anything is out there on the internet, and to discredit their own thoughts."

Holbrook, as a poet and an educator, has several thoughts about remedies to these sorts of tests. "Parents, demand to see the test prep materials. Teachers, don't waste time on test prep: you can't teach nonsense. Administrators, take the money you are spending on test prep and spend it on classroom libraries instead. There are no quick fixes. Kids need to read and write voluminously." She advocates for transparency. "If a bike helmet fails to protect a child from injury, consumers can sue the manufacturer. These tests are injurious, but shrouded in secrecy and thereby beyond the reach of most teachers and all parents."

To approach any poem with the notion that each word has one and only one correct studying when language at its most rich involves shades and layers or meaning--what my old college writing professor called "the ambiguity that enriches"--is one way to stifle thinking in students. In many states, they are doing it in grades K through 12.

There are so many layers to Holbrook's situation. The test manufacturers could have contacted her and talked to her about her poem (though Common Core architect David Coleman would argue that doing so was both unnecessary and undesirable), but they didn't. So here they sit, in a bizarre universe where the test writer knows the "correct" answer for a question about a poem, but the person who wrote the poem does not. And at least Holbrook has the option of publicly saying, "Hey, wait a minute," which is more than the deceased authors used for testing can do. But she was only able to do so because somebody risked punishment by sharing test materials with her. Particularly ironic is Mentoring Minds' promise to build critical thinking skills in students, even as Holbrook, by taking reading, writing and speaking out to students in living, breathing, dynamic workshops, is doing far more to promote critical thinking than can be accomplished by challenging students to guess which one of four available answers an unseen test writer has deemed "correct."

KSET 2023 Registration: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) will conclude the application window for the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET 2023) for Assistant Professor today, December 19. All those who have yet not submitted their application, have a last chance to submit applications by 4 PM today, December 19. No applications will be entertained after the due date. 

As per the official schedule, the KSET 2023 test will be conducted on January 13, 2024. Candidates applying on the above dates will be allocated to the Bangalore test centre only. Earlier, the last date of application was October 9, 2023. The test authority reopened the application window on December 18 after receiving various representations from the candidate. 

The official notification reads, 'Many of the candidates are requesting to extend the registration date for Karnataka state eligibility test (KSET)-2023. The final opportunity is given to register and apply online for KSET-2023 to the candidates who have registered till now. Registration, submission of application and payment- from 11.00 am 18-12-2023 to L9-L2-2023 4.00 pm (During post office working hours). Candidates applying on the above dates will be allocated to Bangalore test centres only.'

KSET 2023 Registration: How to apply?

To apply for KSET 2023 (Karnataka State Eligibility Test), follow these steps:

1. Visit the official KSET website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

2. Navigate to the registration section for KSET 2023
3. Fill in the required personal, educational, and contact details accurately
4. Upload scanned copies of necessary documents as specified
5. Pay the application fee through the provided online payment modes
6. Review the entered information before final submission
7. Submit the application form and take a printout of the confirmation for future reference

KSET 2023 Registration Fee 

• General, Cat-IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and other state candidates - Rs. 1000/-
• Cat-I, SC, ST, PWD & Transgender Candidates - Rs. 700/-
• Payment modes may include online options such as credit/debit cards, net banking, or other prescribed modes.

Candidates are advised to check the official KSET 2023 notification or the website for specific details on the application process and the applicable fee structure before the registration deadline ends today, December 19 at 4 PM.

Exam Date

Karnataka State Eligibility Test 2023 will be conducted on December 31. The test may comprise two papers. Both test papers will consist only of objective type Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs).

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is set to resume registrations for KSET 2023 on December 18, 2023. Aspiring candidates for the Karnataka State Eligibility Test can apply through the official KEA website at kea.kar.nic.in. The deadline for application submission is December 19, 2023, until 4 pm.

KSET 2023 registration: Steps to apply

1. Visit kea.kar.nic.in, the official website of KEA.

2. Click on the KSET 2023 registration link on the homepage.

3. Enter registration details on the new page.

4. Submit and log in to the account.

5. Complete the application form and make the requisite payment.

6. Submit the form, download the page, and keep a hard copy for future reference.

The examination fee is ₹1000/- for General, Cat-IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, and other State Candidates, while it is ₹700/- for Cat-I, SC, ST, PWD, and Transgender Candidates.

Originally scheduled for November 26, 2023, the KSET examination has been postponed and will now take place on December 31, 2023. The test comprises two papers with only objective-type Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs). For additional details, candidates can refer to the official KEA website.