Life's too short for dumb exams
By gailseymour
@gailseymour (20)
May 14, 2007 12:07pm CST
Am I the only one who thinks life's too short for dumb exams?
I don't mean the exams which are an integral part of a course of study, or qualification, but the catch all, 'key skills' stuff we're subjected to in the UK these days.
I mean really, I had to take and hour and a half out of my revision program today to sit in a room and answer 40 VERY easy questions, like basic punctuation and spelling and comprehension most 10-12 year olds could be expected to answer with confidence.
I wouldn't mind so much, but I have an 'A' level in English, which I am told 'doesn't count' because it's more than 4 years old, as if somehow I'm likely to forget how to string a sentence together if I don't sit such a frustratingly boring test on a regular basis.
Even worse, this exam was thrust on us at short notice with no preparation whatsoever, so the 1 person in the room taking the exam who could have benefited from it had she been given the support she needed to improve her basic skills, failed anyway.
I'm a great believer in adult education, and agree that all students should be encouraged to meet minimum standards in maths and English, but, in case you hadn't guessed already, I don't believe this is the way to go about it.
1 person likes this
1 response
@rockerwitch (538)
• Philippines
20 May 07
Really? They make you do that on a regular basis? That's just awful. And to surprise you guys like that. I mean, I don't think basic skills need to be tested like that because they're basic, right? We use them everyday. It's not as if we'd forget what a period is or where to put a comma or something. And how can they say that your A levels are obsolete just because it's four years old? It's like saying that after 4 years, a college degree doesn't count already. It's really weird. I don't get why they do that. I could understand if it's math, I mean, I'm likely to forget algebra or trigonometry but English?
@gailseymour (20)
•
20 May 07
Yeah, and the best part is I'll have to do it all again next year. They say it's 'embedded on the course.' Lovely.
Maybe next year they'll progress beyond basic punctuation and spelling and move on to comprehension? (And maybe then they'll be able to make me comprehend why so much money is being wasted mis-administering the whole thing)
