EXAMS GIVE NO REAL INDICATION OF ABILITY
Exam. The most stressful word for all of us. All of us had even one exam that was so stressful that you don’t want to think about it. Exams are a common thing for people like me and you. We study a lot or we do that ever it takes to get it. The problem is that the exams can’t be always relevant to the individual abilities.
When I say “exam”, the first word that come in to my mind is “emotions”. I am really nervous every time I have an exam. But the worst feeling ever is to study all day and all night for a hard exam and because you studied so much you are so tired that you can’t remember anything. Another bad situation is to study hard 90% and the subject of the exam to be on the 10% that you have no idea about. That’s how you can fail an exam and studying on it at the same time.
If you can’t do anything at an exam, it’s right for the professor to give you a second chance? I know, you’ll probable say “no”. but let’s think about it. If you don’t want to learn, you won’t know at the second time neither, but if is only a one-time event the second chance can be so useful.
An example that is so commune for all of us. One student is trying hard to work, to learn for an exam. Another student is lazier, don’t want to work so hard, is not so interested and decide to copy on the exam, from another student, from book or using any kind of devices. In the end the hard-working student and the lazy one may have the same results and if you judge them for their exams they have the same chance for a good grade.
One day you can have a very important test and you are in a such a bad shape. It’s your worst day, but you have to purchase the exam but you don’t have the physical resources to do that. Maybe you’ll fail that exam, but that didn’t mean that you are stupid or you weren’t well prepared, it’s just a bad day.
Another problem is that we can’t know everything; every subject in the world, every exercise, every formula. And it’s possible that in one exam the subject that you have to write is the single one that you don’t know. You know everything else, but that subject no. In that case, nobody cares if you are a genius; if you can’t resolve the test, doesn’t matter what you can actually do or that you know.
If you are to stressed about the exam, you can fail. If you are too prepared to the exam you can fail. If you have a bad day you can fail. If you don’t know that exact subject you can fail. And reasons are unlimited. So, examination can’t be so precisely.
If I want to become an artist and I’m really good and talented, but I’m not so good at math, it’s possible for me to fail the exam and nobody will now how good I am as an artist because I can’t finish the hightschool. All of that just because I don’t know math like some people wants me to know. You can’t be good at all the subjects in the world, because if you can, that would be boring.
It’s true that, sometimes we need exams to see how we do on a field, but exams should not be so stressful and important on our carriers, lives and graduation. It should helps you to evaluate yourself and helpful to your personal development.
Exams aren’t a pleasant thing for us and that should be changed. We need to evolve, to be more relaxed in order to be productive and happy. Don’t forget that stress is the biggest disease.
I don’t have a problem with the exams, I have a problem with the result of the exam. Why is it public? If you pass or if you fail, will be noted an will affect you and everybody else will know. A better way is to evaluate the students also in free talks, maybe some in private to concentrate more at the student. But also, in group to see if the student has problems of socializing. And that periodical evaluation may help a lot the students to be more honest to their teachers.
My personal advice for the students is to relax a little bit, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t study one day. For the professors my advice is to not be so harsh with their students if they don’t know everything; if we don’t deserve, don’t give us good grades, but if we fail once, don’t judge us like we don’t know anything.
Exams are not about knowledge or abilities, in this days, exams are more about luck and less about knowledge.
