Online Exams and Their Issues

On October 13, 2020, Springfield released the schedule for the upcoming subject exams that begin on the 12th of November and end on the 25th of November. The exams were carried out through various different platforms from Google Forms to filming yourself.

The purpose of exams is to assess students’ overall knowledge on each subject, but some teachers believe that this should be modified for students on par with their current circumstances. “It was necessary to cancel them. If anything, there should be adjustments made to the exams as I did by creating an exam with one chapter only. ” said Ms. Hedy Lim, Additional Mathematics teacher. However, school exams differ greatly from online exams as modifications have been made to normal exams taken before the pandemic which usually consist of a revision of the full course discussed over the semester. Generally, a full course has six or more chapters, but now exams are adjusted to ease the burden on students.

In the previous school year, the semester exams had less strict regulations and less time restrictions. “Now, it has become a regulation that students treat these online exams like exams we physically take at school as we have tighter time restrictions to complete the exams while being monitored.” said Brendan Alexander, a student in Grade 10.

With the current circumstances, it is more than likely that there will be unstable internet connectivity due to the mass usage of wifi. As informed by the Communications and Informations Ministry (Kominfo), internet usage grew by 40% during this pandemic. Hence, many teachers and students alike are facing unstable internet connectivity which can hamper their concentration during each examination.

Many students have also complained about pesky siblings, loud family members, uncomfortable learning environments, and distractions at home. During an exam, these can be disruptive as the students try to focus. “Online exams are very burdensome because the exam environment isn’t there anymore,” said Raisa Latifa Annabela, a student in Grade 12. “It's hard to focus on the exam sometimes because I work at the dining table.”

Despite these issues and others such as cheating, teachers still plan to go forward with the semester exams. “Exams prepare students for the real thing (Cambridge Exams).” said a Springfield coordinator, who chose to remain anonymous. “That’s why most assessments contain modified past paper questions.”

As the Cambridge examinations may occur in May/June, students may expect more intensive training and reviewing for preparation. School exams act as a simulation for students to prepare for Cambridge exams. Although the tests are being taken online, students are still able to understand what Cambridge exams may be like, especially for the Grade 10 students who are taking their IGCSE examinations in May/June. In addition, school exams may be even harder than the Cambridge examinations in order to challenge students and prepare them for the unexpected as Cambridge has varying levels of difficulty.

Even though this “new normal” forces students into taking online exams, it may also aid students in terms of efficiency. According to a study on the effects of COVID-19 confinement on academic performance, learning became more continuous which improved efficiency. So, it results in an increase in scores in the courses. Improved learning efficiency led to better grades. Therefore, students can expect an improvement in academic performance, cognitive learning, and preparation for future exams. Although exams have its downsides, students can learn to adapt to this situation as they have to take the semester two exams online too.