‘Exams, not the best gauge’

SITTING for examinations is difficult for most students. Let’s face it, how many students in your family or social circle actually delight in the mention of an examination?

Be it midterms or finals, examinations are bound to increase the stress and anxiety levels of students – what more when it comes to major public examinations such as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).

Many students tend to burn the midnight oil just so they can cram months’ worth of knowledge within several sleepless nights which usually fall on the eves of their examinations.

This can overwhelm them physically and mentally, leaving them struggling to concentrate during the actual examinations.

In preparing for examinations, parents are also known to enrol their children in various learning centres or tuition classes in the hopes of obtaining the best outcomes.

Picture this: a student spending seven hours in school – more if she attends extracurricular activities – and then a few extra hours on tuition.

Sshakti: It is prudent to weigh the pros and cons to see if examination-based assessment is the best method to pave the way forward for students.

Add some homework and projects to the mix, and the student would – depending on her ability – barely have time to obtain a decent amount of sleep and leisure.

Hence, I am in favour of the recent announcement by the Education Ministry to abolish the Form Three Assessment (PT3) starting this year, and put in place more holistic school-based assessments (PBS).

The way I see it, it is prudent to weigh the pros and cons to see if examination-based assessment is the best method to pave the way forward for students.

In a work environment, do one’s examination results guarantee one’s ability to perform well? Not necessarily.

How about assignments? Assignments require research, methodology and analysis – skills that are far more essential in the real-life work setting.

Sure, examinations give teachers a method to evaluate students and offer a way for students to make decisions on their prospective career paths. But assignments can be utilised for the same purposes, as well.

A typical examination tests one’s ability to understand what is taught in classes, often requiring one to regurgitate huge chunks of content in one’s textbooks. Assignment-based assessment, on the other hand, allows students to grasp the topics by giving them time to do a thorough analysis and apply their knowledge.

This way, students are better able to identify and evaluate what they’re being graded on.

They will also be able to increase their maturity levels and higher order thinking skills, while honing their leadership and creativity in the process.

The ample duration given to complete an assignment would give students, especially at the tertiary level, more leeway to manage their various responsibilities and commitments.

As assignments can be given throughout the course of one’s study, they can serve to gauge one’s consistency in meeting the learning objectives.

My view is that assignment-based assessment will better serve students than examination-based assessment.

Sshakti, 19, a student in Selangor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.