CLASS TESTS VS MIDSEMS

Class Tests constitute an inseparable part of our college lives. They are a frequent reminder of the wordly fact that happiness doesn’t last forever, no matter how much we want it to. However, it’s an indisputable god’s truth that they can make or break grades. Most other IITs though, have adopted a system involving one midterm rather than two CTs. We don’t know of the reason with much conviction. Also, it is hard for any of us to concretely claim whether we could have fared better in a mid-term system.

The freshers of year 2016 were welcomed by a month-long induction programme to ensure a smooth and productive transition into a new world. The experiment saw the academics lag four weeks behind what has been the norm. The freshers were to therefore give midterms rather than two set of CTs in their first semester. They will now be switching to the Class-Tests and living like their predecessors. We thought of guessing the toll this change in system would have on them. And in the process we also pondered upon how different would have our lives been under a single midterm system.

For this purpose, we analysed two different set of students: the freshers of 2015 and of 2016.Performances of students of same branch in the same subject over two years were compared and analysed to ascertain homogeneity. The then 2015 freshers had taken two CTs for the same subject and the 2016 arrivals had taken a midterm examination. Following is an explanation of what the stats have spoken.

THE SEDIMENTS’ SENTIMENTS

From the perspective of a student probably giving lesser importance to academics, surprisingly CTs seem to be the better option as compared to midsems. Everyone deserves a second chance, however it only justifies itself if the eventual graph goes up. And in fact, the same motive seems to drive these students to improve their performance the second time around (An opportunity provided to them by CT2). If evaluated solely on the basis of their performance in the CTs as compared to the midsems, at least 20% of the students are able to improve their performance in the 2nd CT from the 1st one. On the other hand, the percentage of students passing the subject increases with the passage of CTs by nearly 25%. The same students find midsems a bit intriguing probably due to a heavier load of the syllabus as well as the burden to give their best in their only test of patience.

THE ICEBERG’S TIP

Talking of the “dassis” i.e. the students aiming for a high CG, midsems seem to give them better results. The no. of students with the perfect score increases by a fair amount in the midsems as compared to the combined effect of the CTs. On the other hand, the percentage almost remains stagnant with the transition from the 1st CT to the 2nd CT. One reason behind the stark difference is that probably a lone periodical test for their brilliance inevitably brings the best out of them. A vaster course also gives them an edge when it comes to relative grading.

THE FRONT RUNNERS(-UP)

Those students who are among the frontrunners of the class (in the 8–9 range) if asked to vote for one should go with the CTs based pattern according to the stats. Aiming at one target at a time, they often are able to perform better concentrating on smaller portions of the syllabus at a time. In fact, among the 40% of students getting a grade 8 or 9 based on their 1st CT, nearly 36% were able to maintain the same after the 2nd CT whereas only about 25% students managed to get a grade 8 or 9 based on their midsem exams. Clearly Midterms either push you to the tip or suppress you to a lower stratum. There is hardly a satisfactory middle ground. Excuse the pun!

BORDERLINE AFFAIRS

Those students who seem to be uncertain of their position across the border line probably should consider midsems as their saviour according to the stats. Infact a good 40% of the students cross the passing line getting a C or C- grade in comparison to a meagre 23% who make the cut based on the overall impact of CTs. Probably a single period of hard work fairs better for them as compared to 2 instances of lost happiness.

A total of 300 students were considered for this analysis. To sum things up, whether you’d like Midsems or CTs is a function of how you are academically as a student. We hope you are able to categorize yourself accordingly.

The Quest, IIT BHU

Student media body of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU).

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Media Club IIT (BHU)

Written by

Student media body of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU).

The Quest, IIT BHU

Student media body of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU).

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