Do end of semester exams benefit students? Before a flurry of emotion responds, take time to look at both sides of the paper. It might only be a one page test.
The Pro-Exam Faction
Those in support of finals argue that the tests give students the chance to learn what they were supposed to have learned during the semester. Others say that exams encourage the student to retain information in his or her long-term memory. If a student knows s/he will be tested on materials learned over months, they will spend more time studying the material.
Exams also give students the opportunity to correct mistakes they made on tests. As a student reviews the work they did throughout the course, they can fine-tune their mastery of the material. If you get an answer wrong once, finals is the time to prove you now know the correct information.
If the teacher weighs finals heavily, students who have slacked off a wee bit during the year get a chance to boost their grade. If you have a “B” grade so far, and ace the final, a B+/A- is possible. On the other hand, if the teacher puts less gravity on the exams, one does not have to worry as much about a negative impact on their standing grades.
Teachers point out to students that exams in high school prepares one for standardized tests, college exams and other tests like the MCAT, LSAT, GRE and NBDE. Some people also think exams give a more accurate assessment of student knowledge than homework or regular tests. Regular work is easier to cheat on, they claim.
The Anti-Finals Faction
Because cramming only puts information in the short term memory, teachers feel the students are cheating themselves of long term knowledge, which is the whole point of education.
Furthermore, students complain that having to take finals can result in anxiety, sleeplessness, headaches and depression. The adolescent scholars thus suggest that teachers assign a final paper or project instead. Having longer than two hours to complete an assignment can ease the pressure a stressed student feels. Papers and projects also give students a better outlet for all the knowledge they do know, compared to an exam where knowing the answers can be a hit or miss game.
A creative project can be used to unify all the concepts learned over the semester. Multiple choice exams overemphasize rote memorization instead of exercising the more important goals of being able to analyze and synthesize concepts. Students and teachers alike can testify that failing a final exam can ruin the semester grade.
Some students feel that the weight placed on the end of term test is too large in comparison to all the work they did over the semester. Surely, the countless hours practicing math problems, reading chapters, and writing essays cannot compare to what one can output in two hours. Student athletes also point out that sports don't have an ultimate test. The success of the team is progressive and contingent on past performance. If the team keeps winning, they advance higher and higher until they level out at their peak performance ability. This would thus be their “grade.” People also point out that paper tests can be an unfair judge of certain subjects. Someone in art can not be expected to complete a masterpiece in two hours even though they have created magnificent pieces throughout the year. Finally, students can cheat on a paper final exam whereas the teacher can more accurately access the oral responses of the student in class throughout the year. Anyone familiar with the ACT or SAT knows that test prep books have tricks and tactics that can increase your score without raising your knowledge of the given area. This same problem can happen on exams.
The Pro-Exam Faction
Those in support of finals argue that the tests give students the chance to learn what they were supposed to have learned during the semester. Others say that exams encourage the student to retain information in his or her long-term memory. If a student knows s/he will be tested on materials learned over months, they will spend more time studying the material.
Exams also give students the opportunity to correct mistakes they made on tests. As a student reviews the work they did throughout the course, they can fine-tune their mastery of the material. If you get an answer wrong once, finals is the time to prove you now know the correct information.
If the teacher weighs finals heavily, students who have slacked off a wee bit during the year get a chance to boost their grade. If you have a “B” grade so far, and ace the final, a B+/A- is possible. On the other hand, if the teacher puts less gravity on the exams, one does not have to worry as much about a negative impact on their standing grades.
Teachers point out to students that exams in high school prepares one for standardized tests, college exams and other tests like the MCAT, LSAT, GRE and NBDE. Some people also think exams give a more accurate assessment of student knowledge than homework or regular tests. Regular work is easier to cheat on, they claim.
The Anti-Finals Faction
Because cramming only puts information in the short term memory, teachers feel the students are cheating themselves of long term knowledge, which is the whole point of education.
Furthermore, students complain that having to take finals can result in anxiety, sleeplessness, headaches and depression. The adolescent scholars thus suggest that teachers assign a final paper or project instead. Having longer than two hours to complete an assignment can ease the pressure a stressed student feels. Papers and projects also give students a better outlet for all the knowledge they do know, compared to an exam where knowing the answers can be a hit or miss game.
A creative project can be used to unify all the concepts learned over the semester. Multiple choice exams overemphasize rote memorization instead of exercising the more important goals of being able to analyze and synthesize concepts. Students and teachers alike can testify that failing a final exam can ruin the semester grade.
Some students feel that the weight placed on the end of term test is too large in comparison to all the work they did over the semester. Surely, the countless hours practicing math problems, reading chapters, and writing essays cannot compare to what one can output in two hours. Student athletes also point out that sports don't have an ultimate test. The success of the team is progressive and contingent on past performance. If the team keeps winning, they advance higher and higher until they level out at their peak performance ability. This would thus be their “grade.” People also point out that paper tests can be an unfair judge of certain subjects. Someone in art can not be expected to complete a masterpiece in two hours even though they have created magnificent pieces throughout the year. Finally, students can cheat on a paper final exam whereas the teacher can more accurately access the oral responses of the student in class throughout the year. Anyone familiar with the ACT or SAT knows that test prep books have tricks and tactics that can increase your score without raising your knowledge of the given area. This same problem can happen on exams.
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