Exams on Trial
B2 · Listening: Listening to conversations · Education Systems
From: Mr Brown, Head of Upper School · Subject: Have your say on exams
Dear families,
Every June, our Year 10 students sit five days of written exams. Many of you have told us that this week is the most stressful of the year, and a number of teachers believe that a single exam paper shows only part of what a student can do.
We are therefore opening a consultation. One option is to keep the June exams as they are. A second is to replace them completely with coursework: projects, presentations and essays written over the year. A third is a mixture, with shorter exams and some coursework.
Before you answer, please listen to this week’s Radio Sunbeam debate, in which a teacher, a parent and a Year 10 student discuss the options. The survey closes on 30 November, and the final decision will be explained at the parents’ evening in January.
With best wishes,
Mr Brown
Vocabulary
- coursework — work done during a course that counts towards the final mark
- cram (for) — study a lot in a short time just before an exam
- plagiarism — copying someone else’s work and pretending it is yours
- a level playing field — a situation that is fair for everyone
- under pressure — feeling stress because you must do something
- consultation — a process of asking people for their opinions before deciding
Sample questions (10 questions)
- What does Mr Brown ask families to do before they answer the survey?
- listen to a radio debate
- attend the parents’ evening
- read their children’s projects
- Why is Mr Grant’s opinion surprising?
- He is a teacher, but he does not want to keep exams as they are.
- He is a scientist, but he prefers essays.
- He marks exams, but he says they are hard to mark.
- What are Mrs Okafor’s two main worries about coursework?
- Unequal help at home and copying.
- Too much homework and too little sleep.
- Teachers’ workload and the cost of projects.
Answers and hints from Migo appear when you do it online.