Mid-year exams to be scrapped in all primary, secondary schools by 2023

[phtthp]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2060973\" time=\"1646787515\" user_id=\"3:

Hallelujah. A new term \"WA\" is born.

So what's the difference between WA and old CAs that we got used to? In terms of weightage to the final grade. 20%? 40%?

I really don't see the difference. Sounds like the emperor is changing new clothes.

WA : Weighted Assessment

CA and WA mean the same thing.

[ChiefKiasu]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2060978\" time=\"1646792578\" user_id=\"35251:

WA : Weighted Assessment

CA and WA mean the same thing.

Lol. I know they mean the same thing. I just want to know what % of the final grade is assigned to WAs.

[zac's mum]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2060981\" time=\"1646793033\" user_id=\"3:

Lol. I know they mean the same thing. I just want to know what % of the final grade is assigned to WAs.

https://i.imgur.com/MBNRTd1.jpg\">

Different schools can set different % for WAs, I believe MOE gives them leeway to do so, cos when I compared with other schools, it was very different from above.

Maybe last time CAs % were fixed centrally by MOE?

[ChiefKiasu]

:yikes: So WAs are between 40%-50% of the final grade?

That's pretty high.

PS. I just saw the inscription at the bottom of the page.
\"The best is yet to be!\"

I'm not sure how inspirational this is to students. Might as well yawn and say: \"Sorry... you are not there yet.\" It's just like how the Oracle tells Keanu Reeves that he is not the One. So sad

[sharonkhoo]

I guess how stressful all this is still boils down to the individual student and family - if student and parents take each and every WA as a mini "exam", and get very worked up about revision and grades, then the stress level might be high all the time! On the other extreme, if students slack off a lot until the end of each year, the end-of-year exam cannot help to pull up grades. I would argue that most students who pay reasonable attention in class and diligently complete their homework should be able to do reasonably well in the smaller assessments along the way (how "well" will depend on their ability).


Until Singaporean students and parents learn to regard studies as a continual, on-going learning process where the journey is more important than the results (most of the time), having any kind of assessments, whether twice a year or more frequently, will be very stressful. Not all results are equally important and parents can adjust the pressure and supervision accordingly. Some years without high-stakes exams are good times to allow students to learn self-management, and if they don’t manage well, that is also a learning experience. Then stress will be only for shorter periods, not all year, every year.

[MyPillow]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2060991\" time=\"1646797172\" user_id=\"28674:

I guess how stressful all this is still boils down to the individual student and family - if student and parents take each and every WA as a mini \"exam\", and get very worked up about revision and grades, then the stress level might be high all the time! On the other extreme, if students slack off a lot until the end of each year, the end-of-year exam cannot help to pull up grades. I would argue that most students who pay reasonable attention in class and diligently complete their homework should be able to do reasonably well in the smaller assessments along the way (how \"well\" will depend on their ability).

Until Singaporean students and parents learn to regard studies as a continual, on-going learning process where the journey is more important than the results (most of the time), having any kind of assessments, whether twice a year or more frequently, will be very stressful. Not all results are equally important and parents can adjust the pressure and supervision accordingly. Some years without high-stakes exams are good times to allow students to learn self-management, and if they don't manage well, that is also a learning experience. Then stress will be only for shorter periods, not all year, every year.

ya agree. generally to encourage consistent work n revision with bite sizes term assessment,
I recall last time those termly continual assessment were very stressful too !
but final exam are full papers & range abt 1.5 to 2 hours per paper , with less exposure - some kids may lack stamina and rigour , having difficulties to focus n concentrate for long hours in exam hall - my ds was one of such case previously :roll:

[sushi88]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2060973\" time=\"1646787515\" user_id=\"3:

Hallelujah. A new term \"WA\" is born.

So what's the difference between WA and old CAs that we got used to? In terms of weightage to the final grade. 20%? 40%?

I really don't see the difference. Sounds like the emperor is changing new clothes.

Chief, you have been teaching tertiary students and your kids have grown up....this WA has been there for a while already....but with this new change to no mid year, it would just be more prominent and instrumental now for all schools.

WA is a concept for the schools to do more mini tests but the details would vary with schools unless they decide to copy each other and inevitably become homogenous again.

[ChiefKiasu]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2061004\" time=\"1646798679\" user_id=\"100857:

Chief, you have been teaching tertiary students and your kids have grown up....this WA has been there for a while already....but with this new change to no mid year, it would just be more prominent and instrumental now for all schools.

WA is a concept for the schools to do more mini tests but the details would vary with schools unless they decide to copy each other and inevitably become homogenous again.

My goodness. :oops: I didn't know that. Sheesh. The changes just keep coming.

[sushi88]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2060985\" time=\"1646795434\" user_id=\"3:

:yikes: So WAs are between 40%-50% of the final grade?
That's pretty high.

PS. I just saw the inscription at the bottom of the page.
\"The best is yet to be!\"

I'm not sure how inspirational this is to students. Might as well yawn and say: \"Sorry... you are not there yet.\" It's just like how the Oracle tells Keanu Reeves that he is not the One. So sad

Yup...it's spreading the \"risks\" out in the first half instead of a 40% CA...... but training the kids to get used to more tests and exams to make it part of their school life. When kids get used to having tests all the time, exams become less daunting for most I guess?

[sushi88]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2061005\" time=\"1646798915\" user_id=\"3:

My goodness. :oops: I didn't know that. Sheesh. The changes just keep coming.

Change is the only constant. The only certainty is death. Sounds familiar?