In recent years, the approach of using exams to assess students has risen in popularity over the alternative of continual assessment. This essay will highlight both the benefits and drawbacks that result from such an approach.
To begin with the positives, a crucial advantage that examinations have as a form of assessment is that they leave little room for cheating. This is because exams are usually undertaken in the presence of an invigilator, whose job it is to detect any candidate breaking the rules. In contrast, continual assessment increases the risk of plagiarism since assignments are often completed with the help of the internet. Besides reducing cheating, exams are also more time efficient. As they tend to only appear once or twice per year, they free up more time for students to revise and prepare.
Nevertheless, assessing students via examinations does present some problems. For instance, some students are extremely intelligent and creative, but when put under pressure their minds can go blank. Considering that exams are situations of intensely high pressure, it is no wonder that even the brightest of students sometimes perform poorly. Another significant disadvantage of this system is the narrow range of information which students are tested on. Unlike with continual assessment, the small window of time in tests limits how many questions can be asked, thus failing to test students’ knowledge in full.
In conclusion, although formal examinations are beneficial in terms of cutting out cheating and improving efficiency, it is important to consider that they harm some students’ concentration and are arguably not as thorough as continual assessments.
In recent years, the approach of using exams to assess
students
has risen in popularity over the alternative of
continual
assessment
. This essay will highlight both the benefits and drawbacks that result from such an approach.
To
begin
with the positives, a crucial advantage that examinations have as a form of
assessment
is that they
leave
little
room for cheating. This is
because
exams are
usually
undertaken in the presence of an invigilator, whose job it is to detect any candidate breaking the
rules
.
In contrast
,
continual
assessment
increases the
risk
of plagiarism since assignments are
often
completed with the
help
of the internet.
Besides
reducing cheating, exams are
also
more time efficient. As they tend to
only
appear once or twice per year, they free up more time for
students
to revise and prepare.
Nevertheless
, assessing
students
via examinations does present
some
problems.
For instance
,
some
students
are
extremely
intelligent and creative,
but
when put under pressure their minds can go blank. Considering that exams are situations of
intensely
high pressure, it is no wonder that even the brightest of
students
sometimes
perform
poorly
. Another significant disadvantage of this system is the narrow range of information which
students
are
tested
on. Unlike with
continual
assessment
, the
small
window of time in
tests
limits how
many
questions can
be asked
,
thus
failing to
test
students’
knowledge in full.
In conclusion
, although formal examinations are beneficial in terms of cutting out cheating and improving efficiency, it is
important
to consider that they harm
some
students’
concentration and are
arguably
not as thorough as
continual
assessments
.
10Linking words, meeting the goal of 7 or more
17Repeated words, meeting the goal of 3 or fewer
0Mistakes