The limited mathematical knowledge of pre-service primary teachers is an international concern. The areas of mathematical difficulties have been well documented, which has led to many universities instituting testing regimes to ensure that their pre-service teachers have appropriate knowledge of primary school mathematics. In this study, the pre-service teachers identify some benefits for being tested, but these were often related to having sufficient knowledge so that they did not loose face in front of a class. It is suggested that these students' emphasis on performance rather than competence could exacerbate a reliance on procedural rather than conceptual understanding. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) [For the Complete proceedings, "Shaping the Future of Mathematics Education. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (33rd, Freemantle, Western Australia, Australia, July 3-7, 2010)," see ED520764.]