Standardized Tests

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Albert Einstein

    As my US History college exam draws near, my teacher's words expressing his dislike for standardized tests echoes through my brain. Many people will understand that there is so much that can not be tested using standard methods. Mathematics and logical skills are testable using a range of problems. Things like history, for instance, are more difficult to gauge. My exam score will be based on a 80-question multiple-choice test score and three essays I write. The point of these exams is to see if the students understand and remember the material taught to them. To that point, I understand what i was taught. However, I cannot recite the information by writing essays. My brain, and I'm sure many other's, remembers things through association. I can remember everything about World War 2 if someone starts talking about it and I can easily remember the associations between a direct question and the possible answers, but I cannot conjure the information without it being initiated, nor should i be able to. There is no point in my life were I feel I will need to write about history. I fully expect interesting conversations about past events to happen, though.
    My point is, if you think you know the material, then do your best. Stay calm and ride it out. If you truly know the facts, you can do decent, if not incredible.