Rethinking assessments: Obsession with exams is contributing to anxiety, stress and burnout among young people. — 123rf.com
Little evidence that exams create a better-trained workforce
Throughout my career in education, I have often heard the phrase “assessment drives learning”. Many use it to justify the heavy reliance on exams.
This belief is so deeply entrenched in education that it is rarely questioned. But when I reflect on my own life, the most profound learning moments did not come from exams – they came from real-life experiences. So, are we, as educators, missing the mark?
If so, we are not alone. Parents increasingly push their children towards “academic success”, largely measured by exam results. Many spend heavily on tuition and coaching, reinforcing the idea that exam performance is the ultimate goal. Politicians, governments and society also emphasise exam results, using them to compare schools, universities and even nations.
But where is all this leading? There is little evidence that focusing on exams creates a better-trained workforce or a more educated society. Instead, teachers are pressured to “dumb down” exams or teach only what is needed to pass.
Students spend so much time chasing academic success that they miss opportunities to develop soft skills like teamwork, communication and problem-solving, which are critical for employment and lifelong learning.
At the same time, the obsession with exams is contributing to growing rates of anxiety, stress and burnout among young people. This happens during their formative years when learning should be most meaningful and most fun.
We need to step back and look at what we are trying to measure. Our current exam system primarily measures “exam performance”, not true learning. Learning is about gaining knowledge, skills and attitudes through experience, study and practice.
It’s about growth – changing understanding, abilities and behaviours over time. Exam performance, on the other hand, tests how well a student can demonstrate knowledge under specific conditions: time limits, strict formats, and pressure-filled environments.
While exams have their place, we cannot rely solely on them to gauge learning. Real learning happens in many ways – through formal education, observation, self-study, and interactions with others. None of these can be fully measured by traditional exams.
We need to rethink our approach. Parents and society must understand the value of a balanced education and the harm caused by overloading young people with exams. Success is not defined solely by academic achievement. In fact, much of success in life depends on soft skills like communication, leadership, critical thinking, creativity, resilience and teamwork.
These are rarely assessed in traditional exams but are often nurtured through extracurricular activities, sports and the arts. Educational institutions should seek to reduce the number of high-stakes exams and replace them with continuous assessments or portfolios. We need to shift to competency-based learning, which evaluates practical skills, emotional intelligence and creativity alongside academic knowledge. This approach would provide a more comprehensive picture of a student’s abilities and growth over time.
Students naturally focus on what is assessed, so our assessments should guide them towards meaningful learning. This means designing evaluations that prioritise essential skills and knowledge while fostering well-rounded, holistic development. By doing so, we can prepare students to thrive not only academically but in all areas of life.
If “assessment does drive learning”, then we must ensure our assessments focus on what truly matters – developing capable, adaptable and emotionally intelligent individuals who are ready to face the challenges of the future.
Prof Dr David Whitford, vice-chancellor and chief executive of University of Cyberjaya, earned a doctorate from Cambridge University in 2003 and has held leadership roles in medical education, particularly in disadvantaged communities and quality healthcare delivery. With over 60 research publications, his academic journey includes positions at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin and Bahrain, where he established community-based teaching and led postgraduate studies.
The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
