Exams are gradually becoming a trend for assessing students instead of continual - grading - system. This practice has some demerits and merits. I will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of using exams rather than continuous appraisals as a form of below.
The use of exams as a method of evaluation instead of repeated tests has some advantages. One of such advantages is that this practice allows the pupil to focus on doing well in only once in a semester. For example, a recent study by the Department of Education, University of Benin showed that students preferred to do a single examination in a semester rather than continuous evaluation of understanding because it is less stressful to prepare for. Another advantage of this trend is that the resources a school would have used in conducting regular test would be saved.
However, the use of continuous - evaluation - method for evaluating performance also has some disadvantages. Firstly, the student is provided with an opportunity to show he understands a course in only once. If he fails to do this, he has no chance to prove he has learnt anything in that class anymore. For example, I once took an exam in college where I required 50% out of 100% to pass a course. The scores were split into 70% for final examination and 30% for midterm test. Unfortunately, I scored 30% out of 70% during the final, but I was lucky I had scored 20% out of 30% in the midterm appraisal. Secondly, a disadvantage of not assessing pupils regularly is that students may not read their book until it is time for to be tested and this may reduce their chances of scoring high marks.
In conclusion, the merits of conducting one exam in a class as a mode of checking students' understanding are that it allows the student to focus on doing well in only one test in a semester and in addition, it saves the school resources that would have been used if regular tests were conducted. However, the cons of this trend are that the undergraduate only gets a single opportunity to pass a course and scholars may not read their book until it is time for the exam.
Exams are
gradually
becoming a trend for assessing
students
instead
of continual
-
grading
-
system. This practice has
some
demerits and merits. I will discuss
some of the
advantages
and disadvantages of using exams
rather
than continuous appraisals as a form of below.
The
use
of exams as a method of evaluation
instead
of repeated
tests
has
some
advantages
. One of such
advantages
is that this practice
allows
the pupil to focus on doing well in
only
once in a semester.
For example
, a recent study by the Department of Education, University of Benin
showed
that
students
preferred to do a single examination in a semester
rather
than continuous evaluation of understanding
because
it is less stressful to prepare for. Another
advantage
of this trend is that the resources a school would have
used
in conducting regular
test
would
be saved
.
However
, the
use
of continuous
-
evaluation
-
method for evaluating performance
also
has
some
disadvantages.
Firstly
, the
student
is provided
with an opportunity to
show
he understands a course in
only
once. If he fails to do this, he has no chance to prove he has
learnt
anything in that
class
anymore.
For example
, I once took an exam in college where I required 50% out of 100% to pass a course. The scores
were split
into 70% for final examination and 30% for midterm
test
. Unfortunately, I scored 30% out of 70% during the final,
but
I was lucky I had scored 20% out of 30% in the midterm appraisal.
Secondly
, a disadvantage of not assessing pupils
regularly
is that
students
may not read their book until it is time for to be
tested
and this may
reduce
their chances of scoring high marks.
In conclusion
, the merits of conducting one exam in a
class
as a mode of checking students' understanding are that it
allows
the
student
to focus on doing well in
only
one
test
in a semester and
in addition
, it saves the school resources that would have been
used
if regular
tests
were conducted
.
However
, the cons of this trend are that the undergraduate
only
gets
a single opportunity to pass a course and scholars may not read their book until it is time for the exam.