Examination System in Pakistan Current Practices, Problems and Possible Solutions

Compiled by Prof. Dr Wazim khan IER University of Peshawar.

Note: Material/Adopted/Compiled from different Examination Documents for the purpose of Presentation.

The process of educating and examining the growing human child is as old as man himself. Only its form and method have changed from time to time, the primitive man was taught by example and tested through confrontation with the actual life situations. In the early civilized societies formal instruction was limited to a gifted and selected few: The sage, the philosopher and the religious preceptor taught and tested orally by questioning the disciple.

Functions of Examinations
It is generally recognized that, as a means to an end, examinations should help to determine the extent to which the broad goals of instruction have been achieved as well as the extent to which educational institutions have served the needs of the community and the society.

More specifically, examinations are considered to serve numerous purposes which are of interest to the educational system as a whole. For example, a teacher administers an examination in order to test not only the ability of his students but also the effectiveness of his instruction; he is as much interested in doing the latter as in doing the former. For modern educators, such functions are even more important than the conventional purposes for which examinations are held.

Good examinations and tests can be of various types, and each type is expected to perform one or more of the following functions. A) to serve as basis for promotion from a lower class grade to the next higher one. B) to act as an incentive, motivating the learner for better study and greater effort. C) to provide a basis for predicting future success: selecting students who will continue their education further as well as for selecting from various job-applicants, suitable candidates for civil, military, business, scientific, commercial and industrial fields:

D) to act as instruments for diagnosis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the pupils, thereby helping to individualize instruction; E) to appraise the present attainments or achievement of individual learners in order to determine how much they have benefited from the course of instruction, as well as the extent to which teachers efforts proved to be effective.

F) to help evaluate the curriculum and determine its strengths and defects so that better planning of curriculum may be undertaken. G) to help improve and reorient the instructional Programme, thereby helping to improve teaching; and H). to provide a basis for comparison and competition among individual members of the group, among classes at the same level in the same school and in different schools, etc.

In adequacies of the Educational System The system of education and the scheme of examinations are interrelated. The collapse of the one must bring about the fall of the other. The function of examinations is closely linked up with the process of teaching and learning on the one hand, and the educational objectives to be achieved at different levels on the other. The curriculum content, instructional materials and methods, and the examination procedures are some of the most significant and closely aligned aspects of the educative process. Because of their inter-dependence, the quality of the one inevitably influences the quality of the others.

Overloaded and Outdated Curriculum Text Books Teacher Competence Insufficient Facilities Inadequacies of the Examination Polices Nature of Test Used Enrolment Increases Examining Agencies Adverse Influences, Indiscipline and Malpractices Change in Value System External Examination Internal Evaluation

Setting of Question Paper Problems Involved in Holding Examinations Educational Facilities Supervision Teacher Preparation Research Role of Teacher in Evaluation Examinations at the Elementary Stage Secondary and Higher Secondary Stages Conduct of Examinations and Invigilation

Selected reading in examination System Present status of Examinations Examination versus evaluation. For purposes of appraisal usually two terms are used, namely; examination and evaluation. The term examination aims at ensuring that the matter learnt is adequately fixed and properly recalled. This is a narrow significance and usually relates to class room situations in which emphasis is laid on the learning of a few facts and skills. But the term evaluation has a wider connotation.

It relates to finding out the mental, moral and social changes that have come about in the personality pattern of a student and are directly affecting his behavior. Evaluation has a direct reference to the goals of education and therefore, must take into consideration broader implications which have ramifications into the growth and development of the personalities of the students

Implications of the current system of Examination The prominence given to intellectual growth of the individual has led to an undue importance of examinations which in true has exercised an unhealthy influence on the process of education. The implications are manifold.

Educational implications;Since passing the examination is the immediate and the important goal, all instructions in schools and colleges are directed towards that end. Short-cuts are described in learning facts, abbreviated notes and compendiums. It kills the spirit of enquiry and search for truth and gives digested material into the hands of the students which does not constitute a challenge to their mental powers. The teacher is not bothered by the idea of promoting the interest of children to seek knowledge from books, library and laboratory. He himself shows his students the way for an easy approach to the solution by dictating notes.

ii. Psychological implications:

passing examination has been pressed into such an anxiety and fear ridden situation has that the students, the parents and the teachers all shudder at the idea of failure. Many teachers have become disgusted with their profession because they had not been able to show consistency of the institution or the inspecting staff.

Similarly sensitive students are known to have committed suicide because the situation was so terrible and emotionally charged. The anxiety to pass examination has driven many students behind the locked doors of mental hospitals.

iii. Social implications:examination have social implications of tremendous importance. For instance in our society a third division students considered a third rate person as well. The parents are disgusted with him and the teacher pays no respect. Excuses and lies are invented to cover the third division. The usual scapegoats are illness or the well timed death of an aunt. The doors of institutes of higher education, offices and employment are closed on the individual and he becomes a social orphan, unattended to, unloved and unlamented.

It is quite likely that many of our juvenile delinquents and anti-social elements are the product of our examination system. The truth of this assertion can be provided if a national commission on juvenile delinquency is set up to study the situation closely.

iv. Economic Implications:-

The focus on educational, psychological and social implications becomes sharper when it is seen through the lense of economic status of students and parents. It is not hidden from any one that despite tremendous national progress in the field of economics, it is not within the financial competence of most parents to give appropriate and enough education to their children.

Direction of Change and Improvement We believe that the question of the improvement of examinations can not be considered in isolation. The problem of examinations is inseparably linked up with the whole system of education, and a real and lasting improvement in the system of examinations can only be brought about by comprehensive and all-embracing reforms in the educational system itself. The present malaise in examination is a result of the inadequate attention that our entire educational system has in general received so long.

Since examinations assess the success of the teaching-learning process the result can never be excellent if the standard of teaching is poor. In order to improve the standard of teaching the educational qualifications, professional preparation, personal integrity and morale of the teaching staff must be substantially improved. It is not enough merely to have a good staff, the curriculum text-books, teacher preparation, classroom and other facilities and the quality of supervision must all be improved simultaneously.

It is also necessary to implement curriculum reforms comprehensively, so that a majority of children after completing their primary/elementary education can be admitted to various type of vocational and trade schools with an early prospect of entering the world of work and early their livelihood. Opportunity for higher training in academic and professional fields should remain open to them, but initially they need not follow the present single track which now leads one and all to a vision of higher education, resulting in overcrowded classroom, indiscipline in institutions, and malpractice and violence in examinations.

It is also to be recognized that the current unrest and desperation result not only from the shortcoming of the educational system but largely from inadequacies of the economic system and uncertainties in employment opportunities. In the scheme of things opportunity for technicalvocational education should be considerably expanded at the secondary level so that those seeking early employment may qualify through such training; and those looking forward to higher education, with prospect of better but deferred employment, may take further examination to their worth for better life.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR GROUP WORK Examination objectives What do you consider to be the functions of examinations in the education system? What useful purposes of examinations are not being served by the present system of examinations? What purposes of examinations are not being served by the present system? What main factors, in your opinion, are responsible for the high failure rates in the existing examinations?

External Examinations Do you think that external examinations should be completely eliminated and individual institutions entrusted with the responsibility of awarding certificates. Do you agree with this view? In case your reply is in the affirmative, what will be the procedure for admission to institutions of higher education and for pre-selection for employment? If you favour the retention of public examinations, should these consist of a single examination as the end of the final year of each course or do you prefer to reduce the load by dividing the examination in two or three parts at the end of each year?

Should an external examination test general ability and educational level of students or their mastery of textual content? Also please indicate the measure you would recommend for improving papersetting, invigilation, grading, finalization of results and their quick declaration. (e.g., Do you favour groups of paper-setters for a single question paper? Do you prefer present marking system?

Internal Assessment Periodic internal assessment forms an essential part of education and is an invaluable tool for effective instruction. What are your suggestions for improving the internal assessment at various stages of education so as to ensure continuous evaluation of the pupils? What should be their frequency in a year? Should the internal assessment be combined and reflected in any manner in the result or certificate of public examinations held by Boards and Universities? If so, in what manner?

Objective type Tests In the internal and external tests. Some trials are being made in the country with the use of objective type and short answer Questions along with essay type questions. What are your views relating to the usefulness of objective type questions In case you favour the use of objective type questions, do you suggest any special conditions for their effective use? In case you prefer essay type of questions, what measure would you suggest to ensure that the students study entire course and not a few selected topics only?

Evaluation Techniques in view of increasing enrolment, complexity of curriculum and changing socioeconomic needs, evaluation techniques need improvement. What measure should be taken to improve the skill of assessment of our teacher examiners? Do you think Bureaus of Testing and Measurement should be set up in the Universities / Boards and or provincial departments of education? If so, what should be their functions and composition?

Unfair Means Adoption of unfair means in examinations poses a serious problem. What, in your opinion, are the main reasons for the adoption of unfair means in examination? What remedies would you suggest? Some counties have adopted open book tests in some examinations where examinees can bring in books for consultation. Do you favour the use of this system for any examination in our country? If so, for which kind?

Outside Interference There are reports that outsiders created serious disturbances in some of the examination centers during recent public examinations. What are the main reasons for such public disturbances? What measure should be adopted to ensure maintenance of peaceful atmosphere and order in the examination centers Halls.

Other Recommendations Please suggest other related changes which you think are necessary in curriculum, instructional materials, teaching methods, teacher preparation, educational administration etc, in order to bring about adequate reform in our examination system.

Thank you