No

Not just memory

It is true that a single exam cannot fully judge a student’s intellectual capability, but to say that exams do not measure learning at all is not true. Exams not only measure a person’s ability to recall knowledge but also a student’s ability to distinguish between important information and distractions. It tests a student’s ability to understand a question and answer it pertinently. And nowadays, with more focus on application-based learning and logical thinking, exams play a vital role in assessing learning.

Ishika Madhogaria,

Class XII, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Calcutta

Your choice

Exams are not for teachers but for students to know how much they are able to understand the subject. If we memorise, we may get good results but not good understanding. We should give exams to learn, not learn just to give exams.

Nishi Mittal,

Class VIII, Our Lady Queen Of The Missions, Calcutta

Yes

No motivation

The prevalent examination pattern emphasises on rote learning. This deprives students of the motivation to develop an interest in understanding and applying their knowledge, which makes learning joyful.

Pritam Mitra,

Final year, University of Engineering and Management, Calcutta

Waste of time

Students remember things that they have crammed for only a short period of time. Once the exam is over, they start learning new things for the next exam. Hence, they are not able to absorb what they have studied.

Trisha Sarkar,

Second year, KPC Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta

No critical thinking

Most exams in school are based on mugging up topics in the syllabus and throwing them up on the paper in the exam hall. This leads to students becoming disinterested in the subject and focussing on marks — leading to a lack of knowledge, critical thinking as well as logical reasoning.

Piyush Nawalgaria,

Third year, The Bhawanipur Education Society College, Calcutta

Too much pressure

Exams are merely a tool that check how efficiently a student can memorise. A huge syllabus does not allow one to focus on grasping the concepts and techniques; all that is left is concern about getting good grades. For that, memorising becomes essential.

Vanshika Saraf,

Class XI, Ashok Hall Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Calcutta