Exam v. End of Course Assessment

There are, apparently, people who thrive in exam situations. While I am sure these people exist, I have never actually met one, or if I have, they certainly haven’t said: “Ooh, an exam – I can’t wait!” In fact, judging by the faces of all the people who were waiting with me when I took my last exam, no one was looking forward to it. No one could speak. Most had the expression of someone about to face a firing squad. Most were doing last minute revision. I have come to the conclusion that this is probably a good idea. It must be better to have something other than everyone else’s terrified face to focus on in those last few minutes.

I’ve done three exams now – and they all reduced me to a gibbering wreck. I get obsessed about revision. From the minute the last TMA is sent off, it starts. All my waking hours and, if my dreams are anything to go by, much of my sleeping ones too, are filled with frantic (and largely futile) fact-cramming. I really envy those blessed with a photographic memory. In photography terms my memory is like one of those sepia photos of your great-grandma looking faded and scratched.

In my first exam I tried to be too clever and revised selectively. I realised as I read the exam paper through that by doing that I was leaving an awful lot down to luck – and I was particularly unlucky that day with not one question that I felt I could answer properly. I learnt by my mistake, and in my second exam I revised everything comprehensively. I made fact sheets, mind-maps, study cards (I even laminated them and made them into a small book to carry everywhere). I thought this had paid off when I read the exam paper – there were several I felt I could do. I have no idea why, then, I actually got a lower mark than in my first exam. Third time lucky perhaps – I did some selective revision, but did it much more thoroughly. I did find three questions that kept me fully occupied for the three hours, but I know deep down I could have done better. My sieve mind just cannot retain facts. As I enter the exam room all my knowledge goes down the plughole and I am left with a pan of mushy overcooked cauliflower.

So I would much rather do an End of Course Assessment (ECA). I like being able to do them when I am in the mood, at my own pace, producing something I am much happier with – and perhaps more to the point – getting much better marks. To do that I need thinking time and a comfortable chair. Not sitting there feeling too embarrassed to ask to go to the loo. I enjoy the simple things like being able to not only rattle my sweet papers, but to nip round to the shop to get a big bar of chocolate mid-paragraph. Humming to myself. An endless supply of coffee. Not having to suffer the humiliation of having my passport photo examined. And – oh the absolute bliss of not having to use a pen.