Are exams a more effective measure of student progress than coursework?

Each week our two teenagers debate a hot topic. This week ...

Esther Pang, 16, Diocesan Girls' School

Since primary school, I've wondered what the point of examinations is. To most students, exams are just a form of academic torture. The stress of trying to remember everything you've ever learned and relaying it onto a piece of paper in the space of an hour is excruciating.

For years we've been told that exams are an effective tool for evaluating student progress: if we know something well enough, we should be able to recall it anytime, under any circumstances.

But using just one test to assess a student's progress can easily over- or underestimate it. Everyone responds differently to stress. Even if a student knows a subject inside-out, stress may make them forget everything. On the other hand, a lazy student who focused on a limited number of topics could be lucky, get the questions he or she prepared for, and get a good grade by chance.

But coursework is done over a period of time. This way, consistent students are not under so much pressure as their entire academic record doesn't depend on one single day. Coursework can show how students really think, work and progress. Exams, on the other hand, reflect students' academic ability on one particular day.

Exams are certainly easier to grade. But for an effective measure of student progress, that progress should be noted over a period of time, not just one day. All students have bad days; if their academic progress is underestimated because panic creates amnesia, it's not fair. This is hardly an effective measure of student progress.