Does a poor score on an exam = poor knowledge on the subject?
How accurate are exams and tests in assessing a student’s knowledge on a particular subject or the student’s intelligence? Is it fair to put a number to a someone’s knowledge? In my opinion, results from an exam or a test is more of an indicator as to which students are capable of performing well under pressure. There is the pressure of having to memorize all the information, the pressure to finish the exam or test on time, and not to mention the pressure of knowing that a sole number score defines a lot of things in today’s society. Even an intelligent and knowledgable person is prone to crack under the pressures of a standardized assessment, and then be judged based on the numerical score they achieve.
However, one may also argue that if it weren’t for a quiz, or an exam, or some form of an assessment, there would be very little incentive for students to put in the effort and study the material in a timely and efficient manner. Some may argue that they study to gain knowledge and satisfy their curious minds; but in reality, if it weren’t for the quizzes worth 10% or the 50% final at the end of the semester, would we really spend as much time and effort reading or studying the material?
That brings me to my point that exams and tests are not all bad. If educators could make it a point to combine different forms of assessment, they could really encourage students to learn the material because they want to gain knowledge and not because their future depends on a numerical score. Educators also have the ability to really assess what type of questions within an exam or test is best suited for the subject. For example, in my opinion, psychology is a subject that should not be tested through multiple choice questions only. I think it is a subject where ideas and concepts should be allowed to be expressed freely through essays or long answer questions. Even short answer questions would be a better assessment of the student’s understanding of a concept or theory, than a multiple choice question. In my opinion, this would increase the validity of the exam or test, seeing as the purpose of these assessments is to gage how well the students have understood or captured the material being taught. And by giving students the chance to write about psychological theories and concepts in their own words, I think it is the most appropriate way to assess their understanding and knowledge. Through out my three years at McGill, I have given numerous multiple choice exams for all my psychology courses, and I truly feel like they have been more of an assessment of my ability to pick the right option from a list of very similar options, than an assessment of my knowledge on the subject.
To conclude, I think assessments of some kind are required to motivate students and give them incentives to study the material efficiently and in a timely manner. However, the kinds of questions asked in an exam or test, and the weightage and importance given to a single exam is what creates a stressful and pressured environment. That is when students crack under pressure, and not only do they forget most of the information they memorized once the exam is over, but the validity of the exam is also doubtful since it is no longer an accurate measure of the student’s understanding or knowledge about the subject.
