Exams should be Open Book

Exam
Exam (Photo credit: albertogp123)
I don't see how tests as they now represent how well you are in a subject. All you have to do is memorize facts mindlessly and fill in the bubbles.

That's not how real life works. In real life you will always have access the answers. Sure there are important things you must remember but not everything.

This is how real life would be like if it were like school tests: Scientists would study books at home the night before work. Then they'll go to the laboratory and do their big experiment, hoping that they remember the material. They have to work independently and working together gets you on work probation. Once they're done the bosses check the work and grades them on their accuracy.

 Not all tests should be open book though. For example, spelling tests should stay the same since knowing how to spell is an important life skill that you'll use every day, so using a book is just copying. But history tests aren't always relevant to your life. You should be able to review a book to know where to find the answers before the test and when the test comes, actually use them. Reading where the answer is and writing it down helps you remember unlike reading a question and filling in the blank of an answer that may or may not be correct. If you remember the answers that's great but you could be wrong and that's when having a book is convenient.

That's how real life is, its nice to know the answers but you should know how to use resources when you need help. Open-book tests isn't as easy as it sounds. There could also be group tests to encourage teamwork. This would be considered cheating but in real life its called collaboration.
Exams should be Open Book Exams should be Open Book Reviewed by Kanthala Raghu on July 05, 2014 Rating: 5

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