Do you think time limits in exams are unfair?

Timed Art exams are the worst.

You could always write in bulletpoints?

Reminds me of my friend during my AS years who wrote like 6 bullet points for an essay style 10 mark question (think it gave like half a page to write in). I couldn't believe he got full marks as the teacher who was marking said that the bullet points had covered what the mark scheme wanted for the 10 marks.

Personally, I write out my essay plan (spider diagrams, bulletpoints) on the first answer page of the exam prior to writing a long essay. That way, when it is marked, the examiner can see what I had planned to write.

Reply 22

Joell3

7

Original post by NottinghamYouth

Why do some people get extra time?

What is the deffinition of dislexia/dispraxia.... Surely everyone would have one or the other to a degree.

Is it therefore fair that some people who struggle to write/think fast don't get extra time, yet the people who have been classified as "in need" of extra time do?

Returning to the real world no-one will give you extra time/ make allowances in a job because you have "special needs". I know one guy who refused to put he was dislexic on his UCAS application to be a doctor.

Life's unfair. (Oh and on that is why should I have to pay for uni, and other people get to go for free when they can come out with the same degree and get the same job. For the "squeezed middle" and normal people life's a bitch.)

Sorry for the rant.

You clearly have no idea what it's like to have a severe learning difficulty, why don't you swap with someone who has dyslexia? You can have their extra 10 minutes along with the struggle of having to carry around all of your school books everyday because your organisation skills are so poor, being unable to spell basic words, taking longer to read and process text than everyone else and find simple everyday tasks such as filling in a form and comprehending written or spoken directions impossible :rolleyes:

Reply 23

Average Lad

Original post by Joell3

You clearly have no idea what it's like to have a severe learning difficulty, why don't you swap with someone who has dyslexia? You can have their extra 10 minutes along with the struggle of having to carry around all of your school books everyday because your organisation skills are so poor, being unable to spell basic words, taking longer to read and process text than everyone else and find simple everyday tasks such as filling in a form and comprehending written or spoken directions impossible :rolleyes:

Being Dyslexic isn't that bad; I should know, I'm Dyslexic! :wink:

I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!

Reply 24

Joell3

7

Original post by Average Lad

Being Dyslexic isn't that bad; I should know, I'm Dyslexic! :wink:

I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!

Good for you, you're lucky it doesn't severly affect you, however being severly dyslexic is that bad! I should know as both my brother and dad are :rolleyes:

Reply 25

ellie_flower

11

Original post by Jedicake

Hence why I say CAs, the new coursework measure designed to prevent cheating. (Although not removing it, it drastically reduces it, as it is like an exam - it is controlled.)

sorry, not familiar with it :smile:

but yeh, totally agree with you.

Reply 26

punkyrocker

14

I never found it a problem - I did English Lit, Physics Maths and Biology and none of my exam papers were unfairly timed in my opinion. I got good grades too, so I obviously managed the essays in English lit alright!

In uni my timings have been okay too. I think it depends what subject you take - one of my friends has 4 essays to write in 3 hours, which I think is a little unfair and echoes what's been said on here. I agree with a more even exam/coursework mix. Maths and sciences are okay though in my opinion.

Reply 27

medbh4805

20

Original post by L3mon

You could always write in bulletpoints?

Reminds me of my friend during my AS years who wrote like 6 bullet points for an essay style 10 mark question (think it gave like half a page to write in). I couldn't believe he got full marks as the teacher who was marking said that the bullet points had covered what the mark scheme wanted for the 10 marks.

Personally, I write out my essay plan (spider diagrams, bulletpoints) on the first answer page of the exam prior to writing a long essay. That way, when it is marked, the examiner can see what I had planned to write.

Doesn't work that way though. I have several teachers who are examiners who have told us repeatedly that if you do this they will make serious deductions from your marks. It is CCEA though, who tend to be a bit insane about these kind of things. :colonhash:

Reply 28

W.H.T

15

Original post by oli_G

the current systems fine. the more prepared candidates tend to have no problem with the time limit- as they know the stuff. also, if someone has a problem with writing speed this is usually accounted for in extra time etc.

WHAAAT

never heard of this before. I assumed this was only for those with medical reasons.

Reply 29

sharmine

15

for english and history yes because i always run out of time :frown:

but like maths there is a full 2 hours for a paper and i am normally finished by one hour and by the time i have checked it there is still a lot of time to pass so i am just sitting there doing nothing...i think things like r.e, french, science seem reasonable though.I definitley see where you are coming from though with the essay based subjects! :frown:

Reply 30

roseroserose.

I think some time limits can punish the people that have revised more than others. Just find it amazing that, for example, GCSE maths exams (where including methods, you write about a page) have the same time periods as A Level History (where you have to write around 7/8 pages). I know in maths you need to read the questions, but you need to read the sources in history?
I think it encourages people to learn answers and fit them in accordingly, rather than answer as you go - which is probably why some examiners have claimed answers are too boring/ formulaic. what do they expect? Some I think need tweaking by half an hour or so.

Reply 31

sharmine

15

Original post by W.H.T

WHAAAT

never heard of this before. I assumed this was only for those with medical reasons.

no it is true, a girl in my class has extra time because of that and on the laptop (which can i add she types v.v.v.v fast...faster than me therefore im sure people like that are more at and advantage) :angry:

Reply 32

Joell3

7

Original post by sharmine

for english and history yes because i always run out of time :frown:

but like maths there is a full 2 hours for a paper and i am normally finished by one hour and by the time i have checked it there is still a lot of time to pass so i am just sitting there doing nothing...i think things like r.e, french, science seem reasonable though.I definitley see where you are coming from though with the essay based subjects! :frown:

Do you actually take RE? I'm actually here arguing time limits are fair, mainly due to the fact we're all in the same boat, but my RE exam involves writing 8 essays in 3hours, I also take History and English Lit and those exams are a walk in the park in comparison when it comes to timing!

Reply 33

User544981

10

yep also a2 chem istry only get one min for one mark

Reply 34

sharmine

15

Original post by Joell3

Do you actually take RE? I'm actually here arguing time limits are fair, mainly due to the fact we're all in the same boat, but my RE exam involves writing 8 essays in 3hours, I also take History and English Lit and those exams are a walk in the park in comparison when it comes to timing!

yes i do R.E (finally finished it FOREVER just an hour ago after doing my r.e exam) and we have to do 4 essay q's in 1.5 hours...still had time (2mins to be precise) to check over and i felt i could do it thoroughly in the time given...

Reply 35

Harry.K

11

They usually allocate the time so that it's a mark a minute, which aint too bad.

Reply 36

W.H.T

15

Original post by sharmine

no it is true, a girl in my class has extra time because of that and on the laptop (which can i add she types v.v.v.v fast...faster than me therefore im sure people like that are more at and advantage) :angry:

Are you telling me that she simply said to the exam officer (or whoever is in charge) that she writes slowly, and she got a laptop for this excuse alone???

Reply 37

VickyJ

I for one have never run out of time in a proper exam, nor mock. I think the time limits in exams are well tried and tested and they suit the majority of candidates.

Original post by talulah4

Maybe introducing a word limit rather than a time limit could have benefits. Of course, there would still need to be some sort of time limit because otherwise it could go on for a ridiculous amount of time...but I think somethin should be done to make time limits a little easier to deal with. Maybe 10 minutes reading time before you're allowed to write anything so you know what's coming and you can develop ideas a little bit before you reach the question

As for this idea of word limits on exams (I assume you mean essay based such as english, psychology, sociology ect.), I do not think this idea would be viable as some people need to use more words to try and get across the point they are trying to make. And if we extended said word limit to fit people who needed to use more words, the purpose of using a word limit would be nothing. A time limit also serves as a word limit in this sense as it limits the amount of time candidates can spend on certain questions, which thus effects the amount of words they know they can use.