Essay/Term paper: Exams are unfair assessments of progress

Essay, term paper, research paper:  English Composition

Exams Are Unfair Assessments of Progress


Most educators believe that exams are the best way to judge a student's
ability. They believe that students' ability can be judged depending on the
marks or grades that students get in the exams. They also think that studying
for exams can help students review and absorb the things they have learned.
Actually, many people hate exams because they disagree that exams are realistic
tools for rating progress. The three main reasons for me to believe that exams
are unfair assessments of progress are: the effects of pressure, the reliability
of the exam result and the purpose of study.

First of all, exams cause too much pressure for students. Some students
commit suicide before they take an exam because they do not have self-confidence
to face to the exam. Some students commit suicide after their exams because they
can not get good marks in their exams and they can not stand the pressure of
their parents. In addition, many students usually forget all of the things that
they have already learned when they are taking their exams because they are too
nervous, but they can remember all the things again after they finish their
exams. Also, many students suffer insomnia because they are too worry about
their exams. They do not have enough sleep, so they can not do well in their
exams.

Secondly, the exam results of the students are not reliable. Some
students cheat in the exams. For example, they just copy the answers from their
cheating papers to their answer sheets. Although their answers are correct, they
do not really know the answers. Also, some student guess what questions might
appear in the exams and only study that part of the course material. They can
get good results in their exams without studying hard if they are lucky.
Furthermore, many students get poor results in the exams because they do not
have enough time to finish the exam papers, but not because they don't know the
answers. The marking standard of examiners is also very unsteady. Sometimes, the
marking standard might depend on the emotion of the examiners.

Last of all, the original purpose of studying is distorted. It is not
the right way that people only study for exams. The worst thing is that people
do not do anything else except studying for their exams.

In conclusion, I agree that exams are unfair assessments of progress
because the pressure caused by exams is too large, the result of exams is
unreliable and the purpose of studying is misunderstood. I this that day-to-day
work done by students is a fairer way for rating progress.