Does Chewing Gum Affect Test Taking?

Does chewing gum really affect test scores and test taking?  People have mixed opinions about whether chewing gum affects test taking. Students all over the world have to take tests, so if chewing gum during tests improves test scores, then students would get better grades. Chewing gum can help relieve stress, especially for students with anxiety. Ms. Narciso, middle school strategies teacher, says, “I think gum works for some, especially for kids who have ADHD and feel the need to be constantly doing something.”

Studies by Cardiff University in October of 2018 show that chewing gum while taking tests increases test scores. According to Andrew P Smith and Hope Clayton, participants were divided into two groups. Both groups completed a 30 minute audio task that involved listening to a set of numbers from 1-9  read out in  random order. Participants were scored based on how accurately and quickly they were able to detect an odd-even-odd pattern, such as 7-2-1. Participants also completed questionnaires before and after the test. The result showed that the students who chewed gum had quicker reaction times than students who didn’t chew gum. Interestingly, students who did not chew gum did slightly better in the beginning, but their scores dropped down at the end. This suggests that chewing gum helps you focus for longer on tasks that require concentration for a longer period of time.

While gum may help test takers, but on the flip side, it can be incredibly annoying to others. People who chew gum during tests can disturb others around them, or they can dispose of it improperly. Many teachers dislike the prospect of kids chewing gum during tests because it is distracting, but they will let kids chew gum on exception if they really need it. They will let these kids do it discreetly so that nobody else sees it and wants a piece. Ms. Wye, guidance counselor and teacher of guidance semester at Weston Middle School, says, “It may help the student that is chewing the gum, but I think that it can be distracting for the students around them.”

Some teachers choose not to fight students over gum because they have more important things to do, and others trust their students to dispose of their gum properly. Ms. Mazer, a 7th grade math teacher, says, “Yes, I pick  my battles, and gum is not a battle I want to pick.” She lets her students chew gum because she has other things to deal with. Teachers have different opinions on whether or not students should chew gum during tests.

Gum can be both good and bad. It helps the student who is chewing the gum, but it can also be distracting to others around them. If used properly, gum can be a great test-taking tool, but if used improperly, gum can be more distracting than benefiting. You don’t need gum to get a good score on a test.