Passing Exams

Today's News - Some Pupils Were Warned Of Subjects. Cheating?

It is absurd that some people know the subject. However, it really should not matter. In a French test, you can either speak the language or you can't.

However, the whole exam system is absurd. Teachers set the school's exam or are on the board / committee which sets the regional exam.

In many 'competitions' such as public speaking, the subject matter is revealed at the last moment, given to the examiner in a sealed envelope. Or you have ten possible subjects in numbered envelopes and at the last moment one is selected by a throw of the dice. So the person tested would have to be proficient in ten subjects. An exam could be in two parts. The second half could be prepared. For example, it's perfectly reasonable to practise asking the way to a station in a foreign language. A student who prepares and practices everyday conversation is doing the right thing. But everybody should do it from a set of questions in a test book which everybody sees.

The purpose of the school leaving exams is to save the employer the time of testing every applicant.

The GCSE was a good idea. You get a credit just for attending a course. Instead of the stigma of failure, you get credit for whatever level you achieve. But it is easy for an employer to ompare two candidates

How to pass exams

Most teachers do some or all of the following:

1 Take a sample exam paper such as a previous year's, sold by the exam authorities, and the pupil answers the questions and answers are marked.

2 If a pass mark is not reached the pupil can re-read the comments and try the paper again.

3 The pupil works slowly using a dictionary. After several attempts, the words in the dictionary are in the pupil's brain so he can finish an exam paper in the time allotted, and answer a question in the street without hesitation or worry.

4 Reach the top standard so that you are guaranteed to pass whatever question you are given.