Should Students Even Study for School Tests?

Most of last academic year’s Cambridge test-takers have decided to use predicted grades instead of sitting for real exams in October and November.

Cambridge tests play a crucial role in students’ everyday lives as everything they are learning is a form of preparation for the upcoming exams. However, with the emergence of Covid-19, not only did the virus affect businesses around us and the economy, but students all around the world also face the difficulty of not being able to take the examinations that they have prepared for all year long. For some, this was great news, but for many hard-working students this was a disappointing outcome, as they may not be able to attain as high a mark as they would have if they sat the exam.

Although the future seems bleak with this unprecedented event, students still face a dilemma: should students study beyond requirements or just do the bare minimum at school?

Many G12 Students believe that they still need to put maximum effort as they are at the pinnacle of senior education. This year’s grades will determine the colleges they can get into. This is backed up by twelfth grader Priscilla's opinion: “Teachers have also been talking about examinations taking place in Oct/Nov. Not knowing whether we will take the test means that there’s still a possibility of the test happening”.

The underlying reason as to why students need to put in maximum effort can be shown from Raisa, a Grade 12 student’s statement: "Our grades might be heavily dependent on the exercises and assignments that we do at home. Even though we might not sit the tests, teachers still have to submit predicted grades and our ranking in each subject.”

Not only do senior students feel that they have to keep working hard, juniors have also started preparing ahead for the future, as stated by a G11 student: “Studying beyond requirements will allow us to take more opportunities and get knowledge to advance more in life; grow more as a person.”

Based on these opinions from current Springfield Students, it can be said that some high school students are still making an effort to save their grades by studying hard.

The school has also been preparing their facilities to ensure the environment is appropriate for the students to take their examinations in the upcoming October/November session. However, the school is still waiting for approval. This examination protocol will only be put into action if the government allows students to take exams at school

These examinations need to be taken in person as the chances of Cambridge allowing online exams is slim due to Indonesia’s unstable connection and the greater chance to cheat without proper supervision. Technicalities like these have made exam-taking for Cambridge students difficult, but some modifications have been made to accommodate this.

“Thresholds will be set differently than previous years; it will be adjusted,” Ms Pam, Springfield School’s Cambridge supervisor, asserted. “There is also a chance that subjects that were previously not offered in the May/June series will be offered. Cambridge will also allow refunds if students are unable to take the test during the Oct/Nov session”

From this update, the specifics of the nearing Cambridge examinations cannot be confirmed just yet. However, in order to be fully prepared for any outcome, Springfield Students should still work hard and study to be more prepared for the IGCSE, AS Level and A level examinations.