Currently, there is an argument about change the normal methods of final exams into placement tests to be taken throughout the year to assess the students’ performance. In my opinion, this is a positive trend as constant tests will provide pupils with more chances to express their capabilities and make the learning environment more effective than the traditional ones.
Firstly, many schools worldwide have adopted new systems to assess their students for different reasons. A major reason is that most conventional exams depend on memorization which prevents students from critical thinking, making them only rely on memorize specific content without truly understanding it. Another point, ordinary exams are not fair since pupils are being assessed according to their abilities of memorization, in addition to being under presure all the time as they aspire for just getting high marks without focusing on the practical side of the subjects. For instance, a recent research has shown that the learners who are involved in continual assessments with practical application of what they were taught could achieve tasks with higher qualities than those who just undertake to normal tests at the end of the year. Therefore, old-fashioned evaluations are neither beneficial nor sufficient.
However, when it comes to the modern methods of assessment, the cutting-edge evaluations have proven their efficiency to help students express their potentials such as hand-on tests, group assignments, project-based learning and presentations. In other words, the modern examinations are more accurate in assessing learners’ performance as they give teachers a more clear vision about their students’ capabilities. For example, when teaching English, it is crucial to evaluate pupils’ speaking skills via giving them presentations to enhance their abilities in speech. Thus, the continual evaluations are more reliable since they examine learners’ based on their aptitude.
To conclude, the assessments play a vital role in education systems; however, conventional exams are useless as they do not cover all aspects of the evaluation. Hence, education institutions must resort to more developed methods to ensure that every body are assessed based on their actual skills.