Should homeschoolers take tests?

This is the subject of many heated debates in the homeschooling community with many arguments for and against homeschooling.

For example:

Homeschoolers should not be tested because testing does not adequately measure learning, It turns homeschool into school at home., and it can be damaging to self esteem.

or Homeschoolers should be tested because law demands we test, the tests support the fact that homeschoolers excell, and it helps the parent assess the childs educational progress.

I live in a state where we have to test per the law, but the main reason I test is to access my childrens progress.

At the end of each year I take a few weeks to review material we covered through the year. Last year I used http://www.time4learning.com to review my daughters work, and we liked it so much that it is our main curriculum this year. The online educational curriculum made it plain to me where she was having problems and we were able to fill in all missing holes in her education. Her test results that followed were fabulous!

Now I am not of the opinion that every homeschooler must take standardized tests, but isn't it smart to find some way to evaluate a childs progress?

You can ask the child casual questions. You can play trivia board games, and even make up educational questions if you wish, you can also play online interactive games that evaluate progress that you can sneak in and check when the child is not looking.

So in my opinion, whether you "test" or evaluate your child, it is important to know that they are making progress toward your overall goal for thier homeschooling success.