25 Examinations

Tests are more an art than a science. It depends upon a few factors: questions on the test reflect you taught the students via lecture and text; in turn, the students are aware of what will be tested; and then the students themselves study for the test.

I learned to give examinations when they suit my convenience. I had a lesson once when I shifted the date of an examination when one third of the students found the date inconvenient and two thirds did not show up on the date in question. It also helps that that you give the makeup toward the end of the semester like the last class day; or else you will be stuck giving tests during many office hours. Somehow, not all the students can ever show up for the makeup; but they can show up on the last day of class. When you give makeups, you want them to be a little more difficult than the regular test or else students will gain an advantage by knowing what will be exactly on the test.

Choosing whether to give an essay or multiple choice type of test or fill in or asking student s to define key terms can influence the outcome of the test. One can interpret the essay in different ways to find a few extra points. Then you can add extra-credit to the test through curve.

Some professors routinely curve a test. If the student on the top gets an A, then the student at the bottom gets a F. This has its advantage when the material is extremely difficult and you don’t to flunk everybody out. On the other hand, the student does not have to work too hard either. I would add points based upon the least number wrong on the multiple choice part of the test. If the brightest student got al but one right. I would then add the one or two points to the test based on the idea that would have been the highest possible score.

On the other hand, the curve benefits the lazy students who never study. I once had a college class that it took me a month to teach them the Reformation compared to a high school class that took me a week. They were shocked when I gave them back the midterm examination results and told them I would not reward their lack of study by curving the test. This shocked them into really studying for the final examination.

I used a modified version in which I add points based upon the work done in the class. If you handed in no homework, then you have no extra points added to the examination. In short, examinations can be manipulated any way you want.