There seems to be an increasing trend towards assessing students through exams rather than continuous assessment. What are the advantages and disadvantages of exams as a form of assessment?

The opinion in favor of assessing students through examinations is increasing instead of preferring continuous assessment. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to examinations as an evaluation method. Primarily, examinations help assess the academic capacity of a large number of students. It makes the evaluation criterion easier for those who assess the students, providing a common platform and a method of evaluation for students of all backgrounds to showcase their academic talents. Also, it helps students to gain knowledge in a variety of subjects. Secondly, exams help students to gain periodic reviews regarding their performances and aid them in improving their performances and knowledge in tandem. Furthermore, it also helps prepare a student for a performance-oriented world. There are disadvantages to examinations. One of the principal arguments put forth by the detractors of exams is that examinations make students extremely result-oriented, leading them to not gain knowledge out of interest but for scoring marks in the exam. Secondly, preparations for exams are one of the chief reasons for stress-related illnesses among children and teenagers. Furthermore, it is a common perception that children tend to prioritize marks and prepare for exams rather than study for improving their knowledge. The most common example is memorizing answers for producing a result. Lastly, exams are not a good indicator of a student's abilities, even academically as it does not provide a window to assess the depth of knowledge adequately nor showcase other academic skills. To conclude, exams are advantageous for assessing students en masse. However, it does have its pitfalls since a uniform system does not suit people from different backgrounds. Therefore, exams are not completely effective to be a uniform mode of assessment.