If we look back at our history, the precious history of humanity, we will notice that exams have always been there and have always been used to test the knowledge of the examined. But have you ever thought of why exams are there, why they exist, and if they really test the knowledge and smartness of the person being examined, or are they only there to test how well you can memorize or cram some information. Looking back at almost fifteen (15) years of my life, I have realized that throughout my whole life I have been examined time and time again and some if not all of my written exams were pointless.
It is true that exams instill a feeling of confidence and might teach us a lot, but aren’t other methods of teaching more useful? Are exams supposed to throw questions at us with a possibility of one answer depending on what we memorized, or several answers depending on creativity or real smartness or even practicality? Whatever the answers are, my opinion on exams might defer from you dear reader. To me exams should exist not to test our knowledge, but to bring out knowledge we never thought we had. I would rather be asked if my life is in harmony and how it is going to stay in harmony if I think it is, rather than “According to that person, what should you do to make your life harmonious?” Questions should bring up that feeling of creativity and self-awareness that the Almighty has gifted us with, not ask us the steps that we should follow in order to decide the path of our life.
I have been through many experiences with exams, some are simply amazing, and others are not even worth thinking about. It is true that you need exams sometimes in technical material in order to determine if you had grasped the information in the right way or if you have not grasped any of it at all, but if you think of it, is that supposed to be a personal choice or a choice put forth by the educational institute?
I am not against exams, not at all. I am against the fact that exams have turned towards complexity and memorization rather than emphasizing creativity and true knowledge. Looking back at history, was there anyone to test Thomas Edison? Did anyone test Albert Einstein? Or in a more practical world, did anyone ever question or test our beloved ancestors and how they chose to live?
