Matthew Murchie, 15, St Joseph College For thousands of years, exams have been used to assess students' abilities and intelligence. But recently, more schools have been opting for a different approach to assessment: coursework. Exams seem, at first sight, to be an excellent way to assess students. They test a specific syllabus that everyone follows and they put students on an even footing as all students sit for the same exam papers. Unfortunately, basing a student's academic abilities on a single exam paper is hardly an accurate method of assessment. What if the student is not on form on the day of the exam? What if the student is sick and can't make it to the exam? It is often the case that a talented student misses great opportunities purely because they couldn't turn up for a single important exam. Coursework, on the other hand, provides a steady assessment over the course of months, guaranteeing the students' results to be an accurate summary of their academic standards. Also, it is a school's aim to prepare students for the future. While exams are certainly effective at forcing students to cram large amounts of information into their heads, it is far more important that students learn to do research, work in a team and think for themselves. These are skills that are needed throughout their lives and can only be gained through coursework. Though exams have been around for a very long time, coursework is far superior in the sense that it is fairer and better prepares students for their future lives and careers. Anthea Wong, 16, Hong Kong International School That stressful time of the year has come around again. Students are desperately cramming information into their heads, hoping to score high on their final exams. Coursework has its place in assessing a students' progress. But exams are definitely a more effective way of assessing students, due to the accuracy and fairness of the situation. Students rush to tutoring lessons right after the school bell rings. Coursework, including mostly 'take home' work, is often simply taken to the tutoring centre, where tutors guide students through the work. Or even worse, in some cases, tutors' e-mail accounts are flooded with homework assignments, and the assignment then becomes the tutors' responsibility. In other words, tutors are simply paid to complete assignments, and then the work is returned to the students to be handed in. Therefore, coursework is, in many cases, a reflection of the tutor's ability, not the student's. Exams are a totally different story. Assuming that cheating is out of the picture, exams are given out under monitored circumstances. Students have to complete the work by themselves within a certain period of time. So exam scores are an accurate reflection of each student's ability, and not anyone else's.
