These days exams are becoming more common than continuous assessment. While final exams may seem more time efficient at first glance, they can actually cause more stress and encourage memorisation instead of understanding for students. In this essay I will discuss the pros and cons of exams as a form of evaluation.
Let’s start by looking at the advantages of having only exams as a method of knowledge evaluation. The main positive of exams is their time efficiency. Teachers usually spend less time on preparation and can more effectively monitor students’ knowledge. For example, in large classes teachers may need to assess dozens of assignments every week, whereas a final exam allows them to evaluate all students at once.
Turning to the other side of the argument, one of the biggest disadvantages of exams as opposed to continuous evaluation is the higher level of stress for students and the tendency to memorise information instead of understanding it. Students usually experience more pressure right before exam day and often try to memorise large amounts of material at once instead of learning the topics gradually throughout the course. This can be seen in situations where students study intensively the night before an exam but forget much of the information shortly afterwards.
To sum up, although exams can be beneficial because they save teachers time and allow quick evaluation of students’ knowledge, they may also increase stress and encourage short-term memorisation rather than deep understanding.