Daily News Analysis :-

The need to examine the examination system

Gs2- Education

Problems in current examination system and solutions.

1. Credibility of certification system: Credibility on quality of examination depends on certification and integrity of exams. Eg: Many scandals are unearthed in the higher and secondary education system.
2. Exams are conducted only to test memory and gain the marks: Consequence is rote learning and lack of creativity and innovation.
   • It has talent search costs on employers.
   • Decline in employability, due to lack of problem solving capacity.
3. Lack of standard assessment system: More than 1000 universities, 60 school boards for secondary and primary.
   • It Can be ensured not through a uniform assessment system but through a decentralized system, where there will be innovation in assessment. Decentralization can increase auditing of assessment.
   • Transparency in assessment will increase standard and credibility in the assessment system.
   • Checks and balance on assessments.
   • Use of technology to assess which enhance standard and curtail subjectivity.
   • External audit system to assess evaluations done by school boards, universities through parameters decided by educationists.
   • Students should be accessed to the process of assessment.
4. Invalidity of summative exams or assessments which test a student’s learning capacity at the end of courses.
   • Because different boards has different syllabus and different learning outcomes.
   • Not able test students practical knowledge and creativity.
   • Students who have high applicable knowledge and less theoretical knowledge are mis-assessed.
   • Hence, we need to include a twist kind of assessments which assesses both skills and subject or theoretical knowledge. 
5. Quality of question papers: Language errors, concept errors, irrelevant questions and questions only tests memory.
   • Use of technology to increase aptitude level in questions.

6. Lack of required curriculum, according to market demand of skills: Here teaching methods can be changed to impart skills for students and not wait to change the design of curriculum.
7. Corrective measures to address scams, frauds and academic inadequacies.
   • Codification Of all corrective measures and taking stringent actions.

Hence, grades achieved by the students should tell about their comprehensive learning and skills they have acquired. It can be ensured through transparent and standard assessment system along with imparting necessary skills, not just rote learning.