Standardized assessment protocols describe a set of procedures to, among other goals, ensure that a standardized assessment is conducted uniformly with all examinees and to reduce or eliminate distractions and potential influences on their performance
(Joint Committee of the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education (2014).
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(AAIDD), the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (2022), and the National Center on Education Statistics (2013) are united in their judgement that standardized procedures are fundamental
to conduct valid, reliable standardized assessments. There is an ample body of research evidence that the presence of observers (including being recorded) shapes and influences behaviors (social facilitation, social conformity, candor) and can affect
emotional states (anxiety, stress, arousal) and performance (accuracy, speed, focus).
AAIDD does not support the presence of observers* in a standardized assessment as their presence may contribute to results that are
not accurate, valid, or reliable; in particular as (a) assessments performed under surveillance are typically inconsistent with assessment tools’ standardization protocols and (b) assessments performed under observation (including being recorded,
which are perceived by examinees to be available for observation) may influence an examinee’s stress, anxiety, focus, candor, or performance.
AAIDD will not entertain requests to observe assessments it publishes because
it is impossible to guarantee that the presence of observers would not cause the assessment procedure to be non-standardized; distract the assessor or examinee; influence the examinee’s emotional regulation, focus, candor, or performance; or
call into question the accuracy, validity, or reliability of the assessment results.