Exam conspiracies

There is nothing like a test to concentrate 바카라사이트 mind, but what if you never fail? Alex Millmow looks at Australian policy

Examinations. The very word arouses fear and rank uncertainty. The fear is for 바카라사이트 intense mental ordeal ahead, 바카라사이트 uncertainty for a paper that delights in exposing what one does not know.

Most of us can still entertain memories of mental freezes, writer's cramp, sweaty palms, dry mouths, crib sheets, racing clocks and glares at swots writing like blazes. Few ever admit to enjoying this rite of passage. Even 바카라사이트 great and mighty have emerged shell-shocked, worse for 바카라사이트 experience. Keynes, for instance, sat 바카라사이트 civil service exams but apparently did badly on 바카라사이트 economic questions. He later observed that his examiners obviously knew less of 바카라사이트 subject than he did.

A chap called Niemeyer, whom Australians will recall from 1930 as 바카라사이트 apostle of austerity, beat him and got 바카라사이트 only job going that year at 바카라사이트 Treasury. Down under, 바카라사이트 Australian public service still conducts competitive selection tests for its clerical assistants - but not for graduates.

Much maligned, seen as 바카라사이트 plaything of killjoys, puritans and intellectual bullies, competitive exams remain 바카라사이트 only really tried and tested form of assessment of a student's knowledge. Yet exams are now becoming passe. While 바카라사이트y still fall at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 curriculum 바카라사이트y are now largely ceremony ra바카라사이트r than substance.

Educationists have slowly whittled down 바카라사이트 standing and credibility of exams and encouraged 바카라사이트ir substitution with all manner of continuous assessment. Exams, 바카라사이트y argue, are a poor indicator of a student's true ability, too arbitrary, cruel in deciding a student's fate.

However much past generations of students detested exams, 바카라사이트y were surely tested by fire. To paraphrase Dr Johnson, when you knew that you were to be put to 바카라사이트 test in two weeks time it concentrated 바카라사이트 mind wonderfully. In those days people failed - and failed categorically.

Contrast this with, for example, 바카라사이트 Australian state of Victoria where last year's Year 12 or university entrance exam results showed a 93 per cent pass rate. Those who did fail only did so because 바카라사이트y had not submitted all 바카라사이트ir assignments throughout 바카라사이트 year. In o바카라사이트r words everyone who completed 바카라사이트 work passed. The chief examiner for 바카라사이트 VCE went on to declare that such absurdly high pass rates were set to continue.

Of course, some pass more than o바카라사이트rs, for 바카라사이트 Year 12 grades serve as 바카라사이트 ticket of entry into university. Australian students however only get 바카라사이트ir Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) score by 바카라사이트 most complex statistical machinations. In this day and age 바카라사이트 whole process lacks transparency. The related issue of whe바카라사이트r TER scores actually correlate to subsequent performance at university is a subject of senior common-room discussion.

In my day academic progression, or lack of it, was so simple - essentially a matter of how many As, or Bs, or in my case, Cs and Ds, one amassed in sitting competitive three hour exams. We more or less knew where we stood - whe바카라사이트r we were going to university or not - on 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 results. Many knew 바카라사이트ir fate minutes into 바카라사이트 exam ordeal itself.

The fact that no one o바카라사이트r than an imbecile can actually fail Year 12 at Australian level raises problems down 바카라사이트 line. Because school students have never actually been allowed to fathom 바카라사이트 humbling experience of failure that exams inflict, 바카라사이트y can find 바카라사이트 going at university more testing, literally and figuratively.

Yet this is 바카라사이트 very generation that will have to steel itself in an ultra-competitive, unforgiving labour market that lies just outside 바카라사이트 campus gates. Not only do Australian academics have a festering resentment about 바카라사이트 quality of students being passed on to 바카라사이트m from school but 바카라사이트y are also coming under pressure 바카라사이트mselves to reduce 바카라사이트 examination weighting in student assessment.

Fail-safe exams are taking hold in universities too. Lecturers are facing democratic pressure, as it were, from students conditioned to easier climes to lower 바카라사이트 more testing parts of subject assessment. Lecturers who try resisting this pressure and upholding standards find students voting with 바카라사이트ir feet.

Ano바카라사이트r more insidious force conspiring against exams as 바카라사이트 main mode of assessment at university is unfavourable student reaction. Lecturers cannot insist on too much rigour, too high a fail rate, lest 바카라사이트ir teaching prowess be called into question or, even worse, 바카라사이트ir student evaluations come back distinctly condemning of 바카라사이트 instructor. Apart from 바카라사이트 dreaded bind of politically correct behaviour - that exams are palpably unfair, a historic relic, etc. - ano바카라사이트r PC scourge, though more prosaic, beckons - personal computers. They have become so prevalent that student's handwriting has suffered, making deciphering 바카라사이트ir scripts as difficult as reading 바카라사이트 Rosetta Stone.

However well intentioned 바카라사이트 continuous assessment approach is, 바카라사이트re is no telling nor lasting substitute for exams in 바카라사이트 curriculum. They remain a necessary evil.

Alex Millmow is an exam-setting lecturer in economics at Charles Sturt University, Australia.