Should school exams be replaced with different ways of assessing skills and knowledge?

Topic:
Education Debates

18 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
56% of users

  • The current school system relies too much on standardized tests, because they can be biased and unfair.

    I agree that schools need different ways of assessing skills and knowledge, rather than standardized tests. Tests are biased and unfair, in a lot of ways, when they are standardized. Schools are struggling with teaching towards the test, and not educating. There are different ways to show knowledge, such as oral examinations. I also think that there is going to be a rise in anxiety, because of all the current testing done in schools.

    Yes PointlessElbert47

  • Although school exams can be somewhat useful, they are too easily cheated on and manipulated by both students and teachers, making them virtually useless.

    School exams should no longer use the Scantron format. All school exams should be computer-operated and standardized at a national level. All questions should be randomly generated and timed by the computer, so no one will have access to questions beforehand. Rampant cheating on Scantron exams have rendered them virtually useless. For example, in New York, there have been reports indicating that cheating by city teachers and administrators has tripled since 2003. Student cheating is also at an all time high.

    Yes Sk8brdrCar

  • I believe it should be changed

    When students are aproaching a test they get nervous some may stay up late lose sleep over it by studying all night, some might sit in front of the exam and then forget everything, exams also worry the students making then freaked out. Maybe if students took quizes/tests/projects/essays to prove what they have learned maybe they wouldn't worry that much. The people that say no, yes students need to be pushed but not all students are smart. some students need help and changing this might help all students pass school. Some parents dont think before they judge the questions. Maybe that parents child is smart and "perfect" but they dont think about the others that are struggling in school.

    Yes Anonymous

  • I agree that school exams are incomplete in assessing skills and knowledge because everyone has a different learning curve.

    There are some very bright students that simply do not test well for whatever reason. They aren't dumb or less capable of learning, but the way they learn and assimilate the information may be different than other students. A conventional exam doesn't explore these variances. A traditional exam combined with other exercises that address the various ways people learn and retain that information would be more well rounded and give a better idea of the student's true aptitude.

    Yes N3vinFace

  • Some people are visual and oral learners and some are test takers.

    There is an ongoing debate within the educational system as to whether or not teaching and assessing skills and knowledge should be done differently in our school system. Some kids are not good at memorizing but are great at discussing and acting out a scenario. I believe that schools should mix up the way they test the knowledge because of this. We would see greater success. As it stands right now, a child has to see a psychiatrist and get an abundance of documentation indicating that they are smart but need to be tested in a verbal test.

    Yes SleekTom

  • Yes they should be, tests never come up in real life like they do on a sheet of paper

    Instead of tests students should have to use what they learn in real life situations. And why shouldn’t people be able to use their notes? In real life situations you want to use every tool available to help get the job done the best way possible. I had a teacher who had this attitude and it was a great experience. Tests are very different from actually being able to use what you have learned.

    Yes Anonymous

  • Actual real world applications should replace testing.

    How do we know if someone can actually do something? Is it by asking them to write about it, or by asking them to show us how they would do it? When you want to become a doctor, how do you ultimately show your competence? You show it by actually assessing patients and completing the necessary treatments to cure someone of an illness or injury. I wouldn't want a surgeon to perform a procedure on me if they had only ever described the surgery and not actually done it.

    Yes MariaR

  • I agree that school exam should be replaced by assessing skills and knowledge.

    I believe that by removing exams, schools will reduce a lot of tension for students caused by these exams. Students are attempting suicide due to exam tension, which can be decreased by removing exams. There is a need to judge the student's ability, which can be done by assessing student skills and knowledge.

    Yes Ry0thBarn

  • Current examinations are only a memory retention contest among the students regarding the concerned lessons and must be replaced.

    A student cannot be assessed merely on his ability to reproduce the taught lessons on the answer paper. This concept is basically flawed when viewed in connection with the aim of education. Academic life forms the foundation of one's future as well as career. Through education,a child is transformed into a useful individual. To succeed in life, a student must absorb, analyze and utilize the acquired knowledge in his day-to-day life. In the current style of exams, only the absorption aspect is checked, while the other two vital aspects are left out. We must develop an integral mode of examination to analyze the overall development of the student through his studies.

    Yes R0wHeaven

  • I support the replacement of school exams with different forms of assessments for students because they may be better indicators of which students need more assistance.

    I think that school exams can be helpful for certain students but for most students they represent cramming, bad study habits, and rote memorization of facts. Exams that test this sort of information do not provide an accurate reflection of the student's intellectual abilities, rather they demonstrate which students can cram better than other students. Implementing alternative forms of assessment may allow other students to prove their own intellectual abilities in a manner that actually quantifies true intellect as opposed to memorization.

    Yes VampireShu
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No
44% of users

  • School exams should not be replaced with other ways of assessing skills and knowledge, because exams are the least subjective way of measuring skills and knowledge.

    It is true that many people are bad test takers. However, school exams are the least subjective way that a person's skills and knowledge could be measured. Exams have been used for years to measure knowledge. However, a proper school does use a good mix of school work, class participation, and exams to measure knowledge.

    No eyeslikethat

  • I disagree with the idea that exams should be replaced with different ways of assessing skills and knowledge, because I believe exams are something everyone should have to learn to take.

    I think that people should have to take exams, because they help people learn to remember skills. Someone may be able to prove physically that they have some skills, but it makes you wonder what skills they may lack. If people lack important skills, then it could cost someone their life. It seems more important that people demonstrate, through a written exam, that they understand all of the information.

    No tablefortwo

  • Exams, although not perfect, are a good way to assess a student's capabilities, because they apply knowledge to real-life situations.

    Even though exams do not perfectly assess a student's mental ability, they are extremely necessary, since they force students to apply their knowledge to real-life situations. Every educational institution will expect different things from different people. And it is up to the individual student to find ways to work around the system.

    No KaputFederico

  • I oppose school exams being replaced with different ways of assessing skills and knowledge; students work harder when it counts towards a grade.

    I think that exams are a good way of assessing skills and knowledge because students are more likely to try when it counts towards a grade. If students have no incentive, there's not much reason for them to try. It's like if you went to work and they didn't pay you, then why go to work in the first place? I think that exams provide the most accurate way of testing student knowledge and learning.

    No boobop

  • School exams should not be replaced, because they are an efficient and effective way to test knowledge.

    Testing is not perfect. Sometimes tests have biases, and teaching to the test can limit creativity and dampen enthusiasm for learning. However, children do need to be assessed, and testing allows teachers or administrators to evaluate children in a relatively objective, standardized, efficient way. Other methods would either be highly subject to personal bias or would be incredibly time intensive and impractical. Although tests aren't perfect, they're still one of the better options.

    No NoIanP4P3r

  • Regular tests are a good way to assess a student's knowledge when combined with homework and participation grades.

    A test is an easy way to gauge a student's knowledge. However, some students do freeze when it's time to take a test, so they should be averaged with homework and class participation grades. There is no other accurate way to test a student's knowledge.

    No Pyr0Dwa

  • School exams should remain, as they test knowledge, but they should be somewhat modified.

    I come from the UK, where exams test years of knowledge rather than standardized testing, and I find that to be more beneficial to your future career path or college options rather than some blind, general knowledge quiz and for which four years of high school didn't prepare you. For harder exams such as languages, history and science, some exams should be open-book or allow you to bring a specified but very brief amount of notes to trigger specific terms or dates. No-one is going to learn by cramming for an exam, and in real-life, you'll always have your notes or books to refer to. It's better to make exams more like their real-life counterparts so that there is context in learning.

    No R053Neddy

  • I think other assessment methods should supplement but not replace exams which have a clear role in evaluating progress.

    Certainly other methods should supplement traditional exam methods, especially since we now recognize a variety of learning skills. Some students respond better to oral exams than written, or to performance and demonstration of mastery rather than a traditional book test. But standardized exams - not the kind currently used but good old fashioned progress assessments - are still one of the most reliable indicators.

    No Th4Fire
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Should school exams be replaced with different ways of assessing skills and knowledge?
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