Exams are certainly not an end unto themselves, they are part of assessment in its totality, and the question we ask ourselves as university educators is: What are we assessing?
We know that many students’ nerves get the better of them when it comes to writing exams, and this has to do with how the culture of exams has evolved as the final determinant of their future.
Students are naturally scared of this and, as educators, we work hard to create an environment in which the exam is not regarded as a punishment – it is not a tactic to fail learners.
From here, we determine the kind of assessment required and the weight end-of-year exams should carry in the final mark in relation to continuous assessment (all the tests, examinations, tasks, activities, orals and projects done throughout the year) and other assessment factors, such as skills and attitude. Attitude is extremely important as part of assessment, as the student needs to be pursuing their chosen profession for their commitment.
