1. Briefly describe the existence of examinations in educational systems.
2. Describe the disadvantages of having school examinations.
Examinations may not be an accurate reflection of a student’s ability.
Some students may perform better without pressure.
3. Describe the advantages of having examinations.
There is no better substitute to assess a student’s ability.
School examinations are something which most students dread. Yet, there is hardly any educational system that does not set examinations.
Many feel that examinations should be banned because they test the students’ memory power rather than their analytical or reasoning powers. Such examinations require students only to memorize facts regurgitate them during examinations and conveniently forget them soon after.
Passing examinations could also sometimes be a matter of luck. Lucky student who spots questions accurately will probably do better than one who just studies his books. Moreover, there are some students who perform better when they are not under pressure. These students may panic and perform poorly under examination conditions.
Though reasons for banning examinations may be many, there remains one basic explanation as to why examinations have not been abolished. That is, all educational systems need a standardized method of testing the students’ understanding of what they have learned. No one has thought of a better substitute in that respect. Whether examinations test a student’s memory power or analytical power depends very much on the type of questions asked. Therefore, there is no need to abolish examinations. Rather, examinations could be set such that they truly test the student’s understanding. Some even argue that the students’ ability to withstand pressure during examinations do reflect a certain form of capability.
Furthermore, students need examinations to act as a form of motivation to learn. If examinations were banned, many would become complacent and would not do their best.
In conclusion, it can be said that examinations should not be banned because of the need to assess a student’s ability.
