This paper presents the differing sides to the discussion of how much assessment is too much. A teacher survey was administered to practicing teachers in the Lincoln Memorial University graduate program to determine how assessment affects classroom instruction and student learning. The research reflects more often than not that assessment does leave student learning behind. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, recalling facts is at the lower end of critical thinking skills. Test questions with only one correct answer rely on rote memorization. We can conclude, therefore, that the current emphasis on assessment, testing what the student can or cannot recall, may be doing a disservice to students. Prince Charles referred to assessment as a "straitjacket" and encouraged teachers to do what they do best: teach British teachers, like their American counterparts, are chafing under the mandates prescribed by ECM (Every Child Matters) and NCLB (No Child Left Behind). There is an alternative way to test student learning. Is authentic assessment an answer?