Exam is not a good way to test our knowledge?

fn_testt: Exam is not a good way to test our knowledge?
I am going to have a debate. The topic is “exam is not a good way to test our knowledge” (the exam here refers to paper test). And my thesis is focus on ” Students only study the topics that are tested in the exams, and not those that are not tested, which defeats the purpose of the exam”.

I have no idea on how to elaborate this point. Please tell me if u know. Thanks a lot!

Answers and Views:

Answer by Hayley N
that they revise last minute and therefore wouldnt really remember all the information after the exam because theyve just remembered it for a short period of time. not actually learnt and understood it. therefore the students with a great short term memory would have an advantage whether they learnt the material better than the others or not…..???

Answer by Kevin M
If you can’t elaborate on your point how the hell are you going to debate it?

You will not have a chance in this debate.

Answer by joshbl74
Well it depends on whether the exact test material is known to the student or not. If the test subjuct is history over a given period then the student must study the entire period to have a chance of answering the individual questions asked from within the range of possible questions. Last minute study or “cramming” is a tool for short term memory but it does aid in knowledge retention and so can result in true learning.
If your thesis is that exams are not good then how would you verify the effectiveness of the learning process. Exams can be essay, short answer or any number of a variety of question styles. The cost in both time and resources is low compared to the gain. I would be happy to debate you on this topic.
In plain fact the best method is to have a conversation with each student to evaluate understanding and application of knowledge. Problem is that a 1 hour chat with each student takes way to long and the other students are neglected during this time. Exams can adaquately test knowledge without the adverse side effects you cite.

Answer by Amanda
In some ways exams can be a decent measure of knowledge but not by themselves. There are many factors that can give false feedback if only test scores are used. Some students have test anxiety and even though they understand the material may do poorly on a test. When many exams are grouped together such as midterms and final exams this can also play a role in overall test scores. Exams are needed but should not be the sole measure of knowledge. If the focus were more on things like homework, labs, and papers it would provide a better measure of knowledge and also measure application skills.