The following section reviews the theoretical and real impact of standardised testing on teaching. This behaviour is manifested in a teacher increasingly teaching test-taking skills (such as tips for multiple choice tests or focusing on essay w'riting) or by using test items or similar items in their instmction (Popham, 1999). Popham differentiates between teaching to the test - which he refers to as “item-teaching” - and instruction which aims to focus on the subject matter that will be covered in the test, “curriculum-teaching” (Popham, 1999).