Universities in most countries around the world tend to formally examine their students at the end of every semester. Formal exams are carried out in order to measure learning progress and determine the particular academic level of their students. Despite the widespread usage of formal examinations, there are many other ways to examine students including essay writing and interviews to name but a few.
Measuring progress and determining the particular level of a student through formal examination is important for many stakeholders. Most importantly, the student wants to be evaluated in order to know how well he or she is progressing. In addition, universities and schools like to know how effective their teaching practices are. I have been both a student and a teacher and on both occasions I appreciated knowing whether or not I was progressing or whether my students were progressing. It is for these reasons that formal examinations are still widely used in schools and universities today.
Formal examinations are not the only way to measure student performance; there are a variety of ways to measure outcomes that are not 'formal' per se. Instead of writing exams, students could have an end of semester interview where they share their knowledge. Or they may want to do something more creative and make something of their knowledge in the form of art or invention. On of the best assessments that I had at university involved me creating a portfolio of writing. This was less formal but still an excellent way for me and my professor to evaluate my level of understanding.
All around the world, students take formal examinations every semester. Schools and universities must endeavor to monitor the progress of their students and formal examination is one of the way of doing this. In spite of ubiquity of formal assessment, there are other much more varied and sometimes creative ways to examine students. 
 Universities
 in most countries around the world tend to  
formally
 examine their  
students
 at the  
end
 of every semester.  
Formal
 exams  
are carried
 out in order to measure learning progress and determine the particular academic level of their  
students
. Despite the widespread usage of  
formal
  examinations
, there are  
many
 other  
ways
 to examine  
students
 including essay writing and interviews to name  
but
 a few.
Measuring progress and determining the particular level of a  
student
 through  
formal
  examination
 is  
important
 for  
many
 stakeholders. Most  
importantly
, the  
student
 wants to  
be evaluated
 in order to know how well he or she is progressing.  
In addition
,  
universities
 and schools like to know how effective their teaching practices are. I have been both a  
student
 and a teacher and on both occasions I appreciated knowing  
whether or not
 I was progressing or whether my  
students
 were progressing. It is for these reasons that  
formal
  examinations
 are  
still
  widely
  used
 in schools and  
universities
  today
.
Formal  
examinations
 are not the  
only
  way
 to measure  
student
 performance; there are a variety of  
ways
 to measure outcomes that are not 'formal' per se.  
Instead
 of writing exams,  
students
 could have an  
end
 of semester interview where they share their knowledge. Or they may want to do something more creative and  
make
 something of their knowledge in the form of art or invention.  
On
 of the best assessments that I had at  
university
 involved me creating a portfolio of writing. This was less  
formal
  but
  still
 an excellent  
way
 for me and my professor to evaluate my level of understanding.
All around the world,  
students
 take  
formal
  examinations
 every semester. Schools and  
universities
  must
 endeavor to monitor the progress of their  
students
 and  
formal
  examination
 is one of the  
way
 of doing this.  
In spite of
 ubiquity of  
formal
 assessment, there are other much more varied and  
sometimes
 creative  
ways
 to examine  
students
.