Mid-year exams to be scrapped in all primary, secondary schools by 2023
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sevenseals\" post_id=\"2060854\" time=\"1646708755\" user_id=\"124401:
No impact on tuition centre, bec they will still collect tuition $, as per normal, whether got mid year exam or No exam (scrapped). Tuition centre more concerned about collecting $ fees, be it charged by month or by Term basis
Good for the students and parents, less stress. But not sure if it is good for the tuition centres.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mid-year-exams-be-scrapped-all-primary-secondary-schools-2023-1838311 -
Personally , I can’t see any benefit from scraping the mid year exams . This will break their momentum of preparing for exams and would be hard to pick up on towards the year end exams. Children these days are mostly into computer gaming and this would give them an excuse to play more since they are no exams , I’m speaking more of my 3 children in primary and secondary schools currently.
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Besides the points mentioned by various posters, there’s also the issue of time management (during exam) and getting used to seating for exams for a consecutive number of days.
For example, even with the existing arrangement, many Sec 3 students find it a challenge to complete the HCL Paper 2 during Year End exam because throughout the year, they are only tested on certain components in WAs.
The lack of experience in handling certain components can also be a challenge - such as oral examination. During normal school days, it’s already difficult to give everyone the opportunity to speak up - as in answer multiple questions like how they do in the communication part of the exam (unless there are arrangements for teachers to test/practice with individual students). -
phtthp\" post_id=\"2060859\" time=\"1646710063\" user_id=\"35251:
I'm sure the tuition centres will start promoting their in-house mid-year exams - that will be an attraction!
No impact on tuition centre, bec they will still collect tuotion $, whether got mid year exam or No exam.
Personally, I think the problem with mid-year exams is that parents get too worked up about them. I was in school in the 70s-80s, and mid-year exams didn't cause such great angst. We studied a bit, worried a bit, groaned or grinned when we saw the results, and life just moved on. I think they are good practice, and since schools are going to give timed practice papers instead of mid-year exams, I really don't see much difference. -
chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2060871\" time=\"1646715408\" user_id=\"162894:
Chenlaoshi, timely to see this.. yes my child was not able to finish the recent full P2 WA in school.. not sure if can pass or not. Is it not unusual To fail the P2 at EOY?
For example, even with the existing arrangement, many Sec 3 students find it a challenge to complete the HCL Paper 2 during Year End exam because throughout the year, they are only tested on certain components in WAs. -
I’m sure there will be small local tests that teachers will do for their topics, to assess how well the students absorbed the material. Hopefully, that would allow some form of continuous assessment to go on. But now it’s going to be done on the individual teachers’ level, so teachers become very important.
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Kiasuparents web traffic may be effected. Parents will peruse the pages once a year instead of 2 or 3 times.
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newbieks\" post_id=\"2060894\" time=\"1646726573\" user_id=\"178749:
newbieks,
Chenlaoshi, timely to see this.. yes my child was not able to finish the recent full P2 WA in school.. not sure if can pass or not. Is it not unusual To fail the P2 at EOY?
Since it's just the beginning of the year + I believe your child didn't sit for a written paper that was as long as this one last year (Pri 1), it is understandable why he/she couldn't finish the paper.
However, it is advisable to try and analyze/find out the reasons (such as unfamiliar due to lack of practice; lack of confidence/nervousness; difficulty level of the paper; time management - spent too much time on certain sections).
From my observations, unless the child's foundation in the language is weak, he/she is unlikely to fail at EOY exam (by then, he/she should have been used to the tested components and even in the event that a few questions were incomplete, those lost marks shouldn't result in failure). -
chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2060930\" time=\"1646742356\" user_id=\"162894:
newbieks,
Since it's just the beginning of the year + I believe your child didn't sit for a written paper that was as long as this one last year (Pri 1), it is understandable why he/she couldn't finish the paper.
However, it is advisable to try and analyze/find out the reasons (such as unfamiliar due to lack of practice; lack of confidence/nervousness; difficulty level of the paper; time management - spent too much time on certain sections).
From my observations, unless the child's foundation in the language is weak, he/she is unlikely to fail at EOY exam (by then, he/she should have been used to the tested components and even in the event that a few questions were incomplete, those lost marks shouldn't result in failure).
Oops I mean she is in Sec 3 and took the v long full paper 2 for WA1 this year.. not that she is in P2 -
Other than not having enough full exam practices… Potentially…
Parents are going to be upset because instead of sitting down with the kids to prepare (sometimes last min) for 2 big exams every year, now there is a need to do it regularly before each Weighted Assessment which will likely be every term. Kids are going to be upset too because their parents will be nagging and screaming at them more often than the twice a year (assuming no WA under the old mid/final exam system).
In the event of bad results, instead of getting a “shock” twice a year only, now we get multiple small shocks (not sure if I like that - like heart palpitations whole year round). Then the question of - since the WAs are multiple bite sized papers instead of full paper like mid year exam - whether the child just happen to study the wrong items (ie studied but that topic or type of questions didn’t come out), and if the small bite size results is a good representation of the child’s standard.
The ones (parents and students alike) who are kan chiong about their results will become more gan chiong because every term’s (small weightage) bite size results count towards the final score… and the ones who are chilled about results will maybe… become even more chilled (since a bad 10% weightage result won’t matter that much)…
Hopefully parents see the big picture - whether it’s small bites or big stakes, it’s about the learning journey that matters, and this journey is a long one for our children.
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