Examinations Are Waste Of Time

Examinations are formal written, oral or practical tests in school to see how much a student knows about a subject. I finally believe that there is a place for examination in any school system.

For one thing, examinations are very useful. Firstly, they show how much a student has learned or understood a subject. If a student gets low marks, it is a signal to study harder. Secondly, if too many students get low marks, then it is a sign to the teacher to provide extra lessons to help the students.

For another thing, examinations create a healthy competitive environment. Students study hard so that they can score better marks than other students in the class. So, examinations play an important role in getting students to study.

One other reason why examinations are useful is that they help to assess and grade students. They reveal the aptitude of students. Some students have an aptitude for science subjects. Others have an aptitude for arts subjects. Still others are inclined towards vocational subjects. Without examination, teachers would not be able to assess the students’ aptitude.

As such, examinations play a very important role in the school or education system. However, examinations can become a waste of time if they occupy too much time in school calendar. We must remember that they are testing tools, not teaching tools. If a school spends too much time on testing, where will it find the time to teach or complete the syllabus?

Let us take the Form Five students in Malaysia for example. They face monthly tests, end-of-term tests, the trial examination and finally the SPM. In between, teachers may set informal tests at the end of each chapter. As soon as one set of tests is completed, another set surfaces. This means that there are simply too many tests! The story is exactly the same for students of other forms. Instead of the SPM, they face the PMR or year-end examination.

So much time is taken over by tests that teachers have less time to teach or revise. They rush through the syllabus. There is no time to explain or do more exercises in order for students to understand the topic. This is not fair at all to the students.

At the same time, students find themselves mugging for examinations all the time. This causes a lot of stress and helps no one, especially students. Students need time to study, understand, discuss, revise and practice. They can’t have this precious time if they are mugging up for tests.

In short, a system which has too many examinations does more harm than good. It defeats the school system itself by taking away the time needed to teach and study.

Therefore, in conclusion, examinations have their place in school. They are not a waste of time, if they are few and far between. However, if there are too many of them in school calendar, they waste time, effort and resources.