Examinations

E

xams today I am going to talk about the exams that we get bored of hearing Older people who reflect on the happiness of youth often forget all about examinations, just as we tend to push all unpleasant things out of mind. All young people who aspire to reach any worth while position in life are committed to the examination system from the age of 9 or 10, until the early 20s, if the university training or technical college is included. Examinations are a series of hurdles to be jumped until the weary student finally reaches the winning post -- job.  At any rate, most people see them this way. Nobody likes them, but nobody can suggest a reasonable substitute for them.

There are two kinds of examinations; the private ones held in school or college and the public once such as school entrance, School Certificate, Higher School Certificate and the University examinations such as B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) B.S.c. (Bachelor of Science), B. Lit (Bachelor of Literature, L.L.B ( Bachelor of laws ) etc. 

If a few cases, bright failures are given a second chance at 13 and a few move into higher schools -- but not many. Some local authorities have now dropped the examination altogether at this stage and award places on termly work and primary teachers' recommendations. But here again some have to fail, and however impartial the decision may be, there is always some suspicion of favoritism or unfairness.

The question arising, then, 'is an examination a fair test of ability ?' The answer, generally is, 'yes, it is.' There are, of course, children and young people whose minds 'go blank' in the examination room and those who suffer from nerves or whose technique is bad and then they fail to do themselves justice. But too often this talk of 'exam. nerves' s a cloak for laziness or ignorance ! By the middle teens, a child ought to make a fair showing, at more tender ages the candidate is given every chance including an intelligence test beforehand sufficiently elaborate to enable the school to predict results with some confidence.

Given hard and intelligent work, any normal student may expect to pass his examination. There are, of course, helpful points such as neatness good spelling, paragraphing, planning the paper at the beginning and so on. These will all gain marks. But in general, providing the work is there, so will be the results.

Examinations need never be feared. They can even be enjoyed; if only in retrospect !