Band 5+: Formal examinations are the only effective way to assess a student's performance. Continual assessment such as coursework and projects is not satisfactory way to do this. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

In the education system, to assess student’s performance in academics is necessary. Even it makes easy to guide students and help to work on their weaknesses. It is disagreed that project work and additional course is not suitable method to examine student’s curriculum. Analysing the importance of practical knowledge, and poor performance under the pressure and anxiety in theoretical examinations will prove this.

Firstly, practical knowledge is the important base of understanding the theories, notably, continual method to assess like projects and course work are the major sources for practical knowledge. In addition, activity like projects, students have to understand the concepts and necessity of understandings to perform well, by such methods students can easily familiar with the process and outcomes of theories. For example, it is widely known that the great inventor Thomas Edison was not able to generate electric power by his theoretical knowledge, but his practical knowledge made him successful to invent the light bulb. For that additional assessments are important for student’s performance.

Secondly, pressure and anxiety amongst students can lead to poor performance in formal examinations, additionally, students might be feel demotivate by the low grades. In such situations, students get distracted from academics and could led to the failure. Many students are poor in academics because of pressure to score good marks. For instance, psychologist of Massachusetts university examined this problem in 2020, they mentioned that in the USA, more than 50% students of higher education have fear of theoretical examinations; however those students scored well in additional course work like report, journal writing, due to this continual examinations are mandatory in the process of student assessment.

To summarise, practical knowledge is necessary for students and pressure and anxiety are the barriers for students to score excellence in theoretical examinations. so, it is disagreed that additional analysations are not satisfactory to review student’s performance. Therefore, it is cleared that there are many effective ways to assess individuals.