Most tests of educational achievement are given to groups rather than individuals. In either case, effective administration requires (1) that examinees be motivated to do as well as they can, (2) that they understand clearly what the test requires them to do, (3) that the environment in which they work allows and encourages their best efforts, and (4) that each examinee has an equal chance to demonstrate his achievement.
Examinees are usually motivated to do their best on an achievement test because of the present rewards and future opportunities that depend on the quality of their performance. It is possible for an examinee to be so highly motivated that his anxiety actually interferes with his best performance on a test. Some examinees report that they never do themselves justice on a written examination because of the emotional upset they suffer or because of some deficiency in test-taking skills. But the evidence suggests that these problems afflict persons of low achievement far more often than those of high achievement.