Wj : That is quite true. However, without examinations, how would students be assessed on their abilities to understand what they have learned or enable students to determine whether they have progressed in their education.
Eli : I agree. Examinations are important as well as relevant in education today as it remains the one and only way to ensure that students are in fact able to understand what they have learned and to enable educationists to determine the weaknesses of students so that such students may been provided with further help or assistance in their studies.
Lz : That may be true in some respect. However, we cannot deny that examinations are very stressful for students, especially when we hear stories about students taking drugs to enable them to prepare for their examinations or even students committing suicide when they do not do well in their examinations.
Yw : I don’t think that examinations should present any stress or anxiety to students because most, if not all, examinations today are scheduled and students are given advance notices of such examinations. As such, there should be no cause for complaints about examinations by students because they are always given sufficient time to prepare themselves for their examinations and if they plan their studies accordingly, they would have no difficulties in facing their examinations.
Eli : I also don’t think that examination is the sole cause of the stress and anxiety faced by students today. In fact, I think most of the stress and anxiety faced by students today are caused by the pressure placed on them by their parents and society whereby too much emphasis is placed on results rather than the knowledge gained by students from their studies.
Wj : Yes. I think students must understand that examinations are not able results only but are a means to determine whether they have understood what they have learned. If students have been able to understand what they have learned and prepare sufficiently for their examinations, they should not fear their examinations but rather welcome them because they would be able to find out whether they have made any progress at all.
Yw : In addition, I also think that examinations are important to ensure that students are properly assessed on what they have learned so that they may be able to use such knowledge properly after they have finished their studies and begin their working lives.
Eli : Yes. Furthermore, if the students are able to do well in their examinations, I am sure that they would be able to gain confidence in themselves and continue to improve their studies so as to increase their knowledge to enable to face their future with self-belief and maturity.
Wj : Frankly speaking, who can put his or her hand on their heart and say that they would have learned the lessons regarding different subjects themselves if the present examination system were not there and didn't made the students to learn and understand the topics dealing with different subjects to perform at the end of the year. The ANSWER would be No, They wouldn't have.
Yw : Although some people say that examinations give students a lot of difficulties, I think that they should change their mind because examinations give a lot of experience for a student. The examinations make the students a self-discipline person and prepare him or her for the enough sleep, free from pressure and tension because they know that they are ready for the exam.
Lz : Well, listening to all you views on examinations I must say that I now believe in the usefulness and benefits of examinations for students today. I for one will no longer treat examinations as something that causes stress or anxiety but would regard them as a way to enable me to find out whether I improved in my studies. If I have not, then examinations would enable me to find out my weaknesses so as to enable me to address those weaknesses accordingly.
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