In recent years, the approach of using exams to assess students has risen in popularity over the
alternative of continual assessment. This essay will highlight both the benefits and drawbacks that
result from such an approach.
To begin with the positives, a crucial advantage that examinations have as a form of assessment is
that they leave little room for cheating. This is because exams are usually undertaken in the
presence of an invigilator, whose job it is to detect any candidate breaking the rules. In contrast,
continual assessment increases the risk of plagiarism since assignments are often completed with
the help of the internet. Besides reducing cheating, exams are also more time-efficient. As they
tend to only appear once or twice per year, they free up more time for students to revise and
prepare.
Nevertheless, assessing students via examinations does present some problems. For instance,
some students are extremely intelligent and creative, but when put under pressure their minds can
go blank. Considering that exams are situations of intensely high pressure, it is no wonder that
even the brightest of students sometimes perform poorly. Another significant disadvantage of this
system is the narrow range of information which students are tested on. Unlike with continual
assessment, the small window of time in tests limits how many questions can be asked, thus failing
to test students’ knowledge in full.
In conclusion, although formal examinations are beneficial in terms of cutting out cheating and
improving efficiency, it is important to consider that they also harm some students’ concentration
and are arguably not as thorough as continual assessments.