Types of Student Assessment Every Teacher Will Encounter
It is often argued that exams probably are one of the integral parts of every syllabus, and a course appears to be left open-ended and aimless without a propitious final examination. While many people totally believe in academic achievement assessment through formal examination and the element of competitiveness it introduces, opponents persuasively argue against this notion and refer to the devastating impact, and the strain students are inevitably exposed to as a result of rigorous and lengthy exams. In this article, several types of assessment are overview, but first, let's have a look at some examination methods.
Oral exams
Oral exams, when a particular student is asked to respond to a set of questions asked by an examiner, probably the teacher, seem to be the most conventional type of assessment. Although these questions are usually based on rote learning, and memorized information, problem-solving and decision-making skills can also be evaluated through this type of exam. Since it is of paramount importance to focus and respond on the spot, students' performance and task achievement may be affected by the high pressure they have to cope with during the examination process.
Written exams
Written or paper-based exams are also a well-known method of examination during which individuals are required to answer some written questions or come up with essays, articles, or reports based on their knowledge and skills. Internet-based exams can also be considered as an example of written questions if the candidates are asked to provide answers for some queries, write essays, and so on.
Regardless of being written or oral, exams are also categorized based on the aim and objectives they are designed for.
Placement exams
This type of test would appear to be practical when students are unknown quantities or come from different academic backgrounds. The placement tests, during which students are probably instructed to answer a range of questions starting from easy and gradually getting harder, are presumably aimed to analyze and assess student's knowledge about a specific subject so as to place them in a propitious category or level according to their abilities. Like any other kind of exam, these exams can be done in written, oral, or a combination of both methods.
Diagnostic exams
Sometimes a teacher may feel the urge to do some needs analyses at the beginning of a course in order to exploit students' weaknesses and strengths. This might well provide the teacher with a guideline to design the syllabus and focus on students' particular needs. Moreover, it can provide the teacher with a clear idea about the level and abilities of individuals classified as a class in order to prepare a practical syllabus that meets both the students' and the teacher's demands.
Progress exams
Students' academic achievements are evaluated at the end of every course through aimful progress tests based on the content of the curriculum and syllabus covered during the course. These tests help the students, teachers, and parents measure and keep track of individual and group progress. This also aids the teacher with syllabus design for any upcoming courses.
Aptitude exams
The main difference between these exams and the other types is that aptitude exams are not based on any background knowledge. The point that is assessed through this type of exam is one's talents and potentials in regard to a particular subject. In other words, the outcome of this exam is not the result of learning and is not gained through education and training. Those with high results and strong performance are considered talented in terms of the target subject.
Achievement exams
Achievements tests are some standard exams designed by content specialists that clarify the criteria and the knowledge students are expected to achieve in an educational period. For example, students at the end of a specific school year need to have mastery over some particular subjects and are therefore tested, so their abilities are evaluated through achievement tests. These tests are logically planned based on the performance of students with medium quality output in comparison with stronger or weaker students.
Proficiency exams
Formal international testing systems like TOEFL, IELTS, CPE, and so forth are examples of proficiency exams designed to evaluate English language skills and abilities of those students whose first language is not English, applying for universities located in English-speaking countries. The required scores and marks are obviously based on the target universities' regulations for foreign students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would argue that, like many other subjects, any product in terms of languages may be adversely affected by the pressure during either oral or paper-based exams. Representing a less-discussed subject known as EQ or emotional intelligence to schools' curriculum may help students enhance their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and reduce the amount of strain they have to handle during exams as well as any other steps in their social lives.
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