A former student

When I was a teaching assistant at George Washington University, one of my students had a rather unique, psychologically verified, learning disability. She absolutely could not function in a timed test-taking setting. The pressure of having to perform in a setting so demarkated just freaked her out, and she froze. So, we had to make accommodations for her. She usually was given the test in a different room slightly before the other students, and then she would bring us the test in our office when she was done. Just having a little bit of space and quiet helped her tremendously to concentrate, and do her best. 

I myself happen to excel at timed tests. I enjoy the feeling of getting a good grade even within the pressure of the clock, and in fact with things like take-home tests, I usually am late getting started, so that there is some feeling of pressure to finish. 

I do not know what sort of accommodations are made here in Iceland for differential learning styles, but it is indeed necessary in some cases, if you want people to do their best.  

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