School Examinations

"Examinations" - that's a dreaded word for all students who have to go through it, which is usually around this time of the year or end Oct/early Nov for the 'O' and 'A' levels respectively. The P6s would have completed their PSLE and some secondary students have ended their final examinations; they are heaving a great sigh of relief. Whether taken in the middle or end of the year, examinations serve several purposes for which they've been constructed.

For one, it enables students to revise and review their work in order to keep abreast with knowledge and skills set that are essential for the next level of work. Often times, future topics/subjects to be covered build upon earlier materials learnt. Though exams may create stress and anxiety amongst students, it nonetheless provides the impetus for students to work on grounding their concepts. This is where they could turn to their peers or tutors for help. As they do so, they pick up the important soft social skills in communicating and relating with one another. It is also a good way for them to develop courage and initiative.

Secondly, examinations serve to provide feedback to teachers and students concerning their level of mastery where different subjects are concerned. Teachers often practised "positive marking", which means, rewarding students for the correct knowledge and skills they have displayed. So a well constructed test paper would be able to ascertain the amount of acquisition a student has attained. If it is a formative exam, it would allow teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly to help their students level up their knowledge and skills. However, some exams are placement exams which serves as an instrument to allocate students into different schools according to their ranking amongst their cohort; the PSLE being a case in point. In this regard, competition for choice schools are thus decided.

For the students, examinations do provide them with feedback regarding where they've gone wrong such as making a careless mistake or not understanding a topic well. Taken in the right spirit, it should spur a child to improve on his/her performance the next time round. Students often lament that they do not have the time to cover the topics for the exams due to their heavy commitment in CCAs or other activities. This is where they need to learn how to plan and organise their schedules and priorities, which again are essential life-skills.

Parents are keenly involved in their children's exams, especially in the lower levels of education. Some would even coach or provide tuition support for their children while others can only provide moral support. This is inevitable as human resource is a precious commodity in our country. In a meritocratic society, the attainment of a paper qualification assures one of a good well-paying job. Of course, some do buck the trend but in general, it is so. Little wonder then that tuition centres and private tutors are making big bucks. To emphasize more on continual assessment, many primary schools are doing away with exams for the first few years. This would entail carefully crafted rubrics (hard work by teachers) to gauge the performance of students in order to provide appropriate feedback.

We may not be taking exams now but the Bible exhorts us to conduct an examination on ourselves. And this is with regard to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 13:5). The Corinthians were slow to respond when sin was manifested in their camp and that was why Paul had to use harsh terms to wake them up (2 Cor 13:1-3). When we have Christ in our lives, we would do the right thing especially standing up for what is true and not to rationalise things away (2 Cor 13:8). If we do the latter, according to Paul, we have failed the test of our faith.

Like David of old, let's cry out to God:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps 139:23-24 KJV)

May we all, who confess the name of the Lord, pass the test of life.

Shalom