One of the most important ways to assess a student’s intelligence is through their performance on exams. Yet, exams have not proven to be successful in judging one’s understanding of a specific topic.

Exams are most often a cumulative test which test the ability of a student to retain the information they’ve discussed over several months. Exams also provide information on whether said student has mastered the topic of the course.

For some students, studying for this cumulative test on such a wide range of information can seem like an impossible feat. This task can cause much distress in the life of a student.  Exams are time sensitive, and students are instructed to, from memory, answer a series of questions covering a range of topics.

Junior Tyler Orloski believes that it can be difficult to study so much information while also focusing on improving  grades before the the end of a marking period.

“All of the stress can easily cause them to flunk,” said Orloski.

Teaching.berkeley.edu/alternatives-traditional-testing suggests that a presentation or a paper can be more successful in enhancing the understanding of the overarching objective of the course. These alternative solutions are not only effective, but can also alleviate some of the angst surrounding exams.

Sophomore Eliza Smith sees the benefit in implementing a different system to judge whether or not a student understands the information taught in class.

“When I have a presentation, I really interpret and understand the information, so I am able to relay the information clearly to my classmates,” said Smith.

Despite the fact that quizzes and homework activities are used throughout the semester to assess students, exams are still widely used as a means to decide whether or not the student has mastered the topic.